The Gate to Kisho
by zaulster
Summary: Part I of the Star Crew Story! A journey through the vast sea, including Zato, Fuyu, and many more along the way. Growth, expansion, conquest, but most importantly, the Gate to the Kisho Sea... only the first leg of the journey.
1. Chapter 1: A Step into Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 1

A Step Into Kisho!

"What did you say?!?" the snobbish male spat, slamming his bottle down onto the wooden table. "I'm the king of kings in this town, so don't expect yourself to just walk in and think you're the boss!"

The man across the table matched his opponent by cracking his own bottle within his massive fists. Liquid dripped out from beneath his hand and formed a puddle upon the table. He opened his fist and let the shattered glass spread about. "You obviously has no clue as to who I is."

Both stood up at the same time with their fists and teeth clenched tight. It wasn't long before they began to exchange punches and kicks. Tables were flipped, chairs were thrown, and even more things were shattered… however, the bystanders simply watched from their seats in silence.

The female bartender swung through the door from the back only to be met with the horrific sight of blood splattering. She gasped in a high pitched sound and brought her hands over her mouth. Her eyes widened as she shook with fear.

At the same time, the entrance door flipped open and a third male entered the scene. A large white hat covered most of his head, and he had a cloak wrapped around his body to conceal himself. Rather than the expected welcome of being a rude request, he crossed past both of the current fighters and up to the bartender, asked for a drink, and paced back to an empty table at the corner of the room. He sipped his order slowly, not even looking up to watch the combat.

And as if something controlled it all, the tide turned. The snobbish braggart lost his balance, leading to him being caught by the neck and flung aside. Unfortunately, he smashed straight into the new guest's table, flipping it over and shattering his glass as well.

The calm man set his hat down upon the table and stood up. "Pay for 'nother one," he directly stated.

"You talkin' to me? Asshole, I ain't gonna pay for your spill. Maybe next time you should hold on more tightly!"

The man repeated his original statement, leading the braggart into a burst of laughter. "Harharr, you idiot. Nobody tells Shawn the Killer what to do. I'll show you what strength and aggression are!"

Shawn flung his fist at the mysterious man only to be suddenly stopped. His new opponent drew his blade in a flick and positioned it right beneath his throat. "I'm afraid that name isn't gonna last much longer." Before he could scream, his head was sliced off.

The other male watched in shock as his former opponent fell to the ground, dead. "Hey! Now who do you think you are?"

"In case you didn't notice, I'm Fuyu Sashimi," he said calmly once more, this time sending a chill down the backs of every single person inside the room. "I came here with the intention of not killing; however, it looks like some goals cannot be accomplished."

The men backed away as Fuyu looked out the window. "I would kill you all here, but unfortunately I have run out of time, meaning a mere drink is of no more importance. Perhaps you would be wise in picking your fights next time."

Fuyu placed his hat back upon his head and wrapped his cloak tightly around his body. As he swiftly swept out of the room, a figure dressed in a manner similar to his watched from the roof… only a black hat with a star surrounding the skull and crossbones.

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Several things for me to point out.**

**Happy 2007!**

**I was originally planning this to be a Naruto story, but due to my new liking of One Piece, I dropped the Naruto spin-off idea and took up a similar One Piece idea. The plot of this story is a long-term one similar to that of One Piece itself, only that the main pirates are searching for the Grand Kingdom to become the greatest pirates ever. The plot will unfold in the story.**

**This story is a "partner story" with another author's – wuncrazyaznf003, whose story, "Ninja Wannabe Pirate" is about Fuyu Sashimi's life, background, and own separate journey. Which leads me to…**

**Fuyu Sashimi is not the main character. He's a side character. The main character was mentioned in this chapter.**

**I'll keep writing, make sure to review :D**


	2. Chapter 2: A Deal Struck Fuyu and Zato

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 2

Fuyu and Zato

"Perfect," the figure on the roof whispered, causing Fuyu to suddenly twirl around. Before a second could pass, he flung a dagger up.

The new figure stepped to the side with a chuckle, saying, "Easy there. I ain't here to kill you… and it doesn't seem like that'd happen to me with that aim of yours. How 'bout we start with a respectful introduction to each other."

Fuyu put up no emotion and replied, "Pleasure to meet you." The person confronting him suddenly grabbed his own arm in pain as a cut finally formed upon his skin. "What was that you said about my aim? Worry 'bout yourself before you come after me." Fuyu turned back around and continued walking away.

"Hold on!" the same guy cried.

Fuyu stopped with a groan and faced him again. "What a pest," he started. "You should be dead by now."

"Fortunately my body was able to remove the poison before things got too serious. But I've gotta say, it was a bit ticklish." That ticked Fuyu off.

"Are you mocking me?!? Maybe my aim was a bit off… that poison would've spread through your body completely by now."

"It's alright, Fuyu. I told you, I ain't here to fight. Back to introductions, I'm Zato… Zato Alba!"

"Does it look like I care who you are. People like you annoy me, but I'll give you a chance. Go away and you won't die."

"Wanna join my crew?" Zato asked, stunning Fuyu, who responded with a quick no. "Come on! You're the perfect swordsman. Your reputation is perfect…"

Fuyu's eyes bulged with his rage, but he kept himself calm and flickered behind Zato. "For someone knowing my reputation, you don't deserve to live." Zato gasped at the sight of the same poison dagger coming from behind.

Upon being positive about the fact that Zato was finished, Fuyu pulled the blade out and hid it beneath his cloak. "Fool. You could've clung onto your life."

"Are you talking to me?" Zato asked. Fuyu exploded and grabbed the young male by the throat.

"Idiot… you survived a direct hit. What the hell is going on?" Fuyu hissed. "There's no way you could've lived after the poison was injected. You aren't an ordinary child… tell me who you are."

Zato's face turned purple as he struggled to break free of Fuyu's tight grip. "I already told you…" he cackled. "Zato… Alba… join my crew… we're both strong."

"How the hell are you living after the poison has spread?" Fuyu hissed again.

Zato made an attempt to break free by bringing his leg up, but Fuyu put a stop to it by holding his sword out. "Answer my question or I'll behead you."

"Wait!" Zato cried once more. "Resolution… give me a challenge to do and I'll do it. If I succeed, then you join my crew. If not, I'll never talk to you again."

The grip on the sword was loosened and brought back to his sheath. "Insolent…" he started. 'Wait. If he was able to live after taking a direct hit, then he must have some special power. And since those marines are in my way, I guess I'll test his strength. Perhaps he can serve as a diversion in my plan.'

"Alright, then I'll keep a deal with you. If you can destroy the major Marine Base of Rogueport, then I'll join your crew."

Zato's eyes suddenly bulged, and he took a step back. "Destroy it? But why?"

Fuyu shrugged his shoulders and started, "Don't tell me this braggart I stumbled upon is backing down from a challenge."

Zato gulped, nodding at the same time. "What are you talking about! I'm not backing down. Destroy a marine base. A piece of cake. I'll have them crushed in a second."

Zato leaped off the bar and dashed down the road, away from List Point and towards his new destination – Rogueport. Fuyu stretched for a moment and followed Zato slowly down the road, grinning as a plan came together.


	3. Chapter 3: Troubled Village

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 3

Troubled Village

A woman sat in the center of the crowd, mourning over the corpse of yet another lost one. The village leader, an old man, made himself visible and projected his voice over those of the people. "We cannot simply stand here any longer. We _must_ take action if we wish to see our people live any longer."

Suddenly, a small boy came charging into the village, yelling, "They're coming! They're coming! Those Marines are coming!"

The leader turned to see ships appearing in the horizon. Screams forced the people to scatter in all directions, running to grab their beloved. Before a seeming second could pass, the Marines had dropped anchor at the new shore. "We are here to collect the taxes! All of those who refuse to pay will be sentenced to a hearing at Rogueport."

Just hearing that name brought the children to tears and the mothers to shock. Rogueport was known as a town with a rotten past, filled with beggars and burglars who roamed the streets till the moon itself would turn black with ill luck. The water there was said to taste of blood of the dead. And the innocent did not exist, for they had all been killed.

Towering above all the madness was the massive Rogueport Marine Base, standing as the smallest of the Grand West Six, a series of six major government facilities in the southwestern hemisphere of the Blue Oceans. It could be seen from all parts of the island, save for the tiny bar at the isolated corner.

The first to step off the majestic Marine Ship was none other than the "Wargiant" Admiral Regaru Adderbones. His serpent-like tongue flicked up and down as he cracked his knuckles and rolled his head. A short revolver hung on his hand, hidden by his loose sleeve. "Alright yew damned magots, show me what'chya got!"

The aged leader struggled to move away from the coming crowd of Marines, but he soon saw his fate, a suffering similar to that of the corpse lying in the town earlier. "Hold up, fools!" Adderbones roared, stopping his men at once. "Can't yeh see it's their leader."

Adderbones tore his way to the front of the lines and pulled out his second hand… only it wasn't there. A massive iron hook took the place of his hand, and he waved it nastily at the old man. "Jii-chan!" a voice cried from the side of the street. The messenger boy broke out of the door and rushed to his grandfather's side. "How could you do this to him?!?" he wailed.

The Marines were stunned upon the sight of a hole in the man's chest. Blood had already begun to ooze out. "Si… sir! We didn't…" they started, nervously addressing the Admiral.

"Shutup!" Adderbones hissed back. "What sort of followers are you? Haven't you seen my abilities already? Or should I demonstrate them again… on you!"

The Marines shook their head and reformed their lines, awaiting their next order. "You see, old man," Adderbones started as he took a step towards the leader of the village. "Certain laws have been laid out at the beginning of your time. And they are to be followed… we ask for not too much. A simple payment once every now and then. And with that payment, we expect total order and obedience. That means yew should've been ready with my goodies by now. But not to worry. Yer life was coming to an end anyways… I only wished to end it peacefully than how it would've gone through if you had stayed with us any longer."

The old man coughed out blood, only it wasn't the regular red color. "What… what did you do?"

Adderbones grinned and shook his finger. "I'm sorry, but I never liked to reveal mah secrets… however, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to spare a few words to yer pathetic life."

"You monster!" the boy wailed once more. "How could you?!? We did nothing to you! You're nothing like the great and helpful Marines! You're monsters!" Adderbones put up an even nastier look upon hearing this and took another step towards the two in his way.

"None of that's yer business, kiddo. Stay out of my way, brats like you only piss me off further!"

The kid, now with a face full of tears, spread his arms out wide and yelled back, "I don't care what happens, I'm not moving! Even if I have to die, I'll block you. I'll block you till someone else comes!... HELP!"

Adderbones gritted his teeth and watched as the kid suddenly fell down to his knees just as the man had. "What a dumb child. I guess everyone learns the hard way."

"No… I told you I won't move!" the child said again, though blood was coming out of his mouth now. "Your poison is strong, but not enough for me."

The Admiral flicked another poison shuriken at a rapid speed, only to have it miss its target. Something else came in the way. "Ouch… that stings," Zato whispered, pulling out the shuriken that had pushed deep into his skin. "What's going on here?"

Adderbones flicked his tongue up and down again, showing his rage anew through numerous expressions. "Two children are able to stand up to my abilities? What the hell's goin' on."

Zato seemed offended, as he put up a frown and spat, "I'm fifteen for your info. And don't tell me that's your abilities, I was looking forward to more of a challenge."

The Marines were stunned to see Zato in perfect shape after poison had been injected into his body. "Perhaps I didn't use poison disks that time, but yew'll be dead the next shot." Zato remained immune to the effects of the poison, as he responded the same way as before. This time, Adderbones put a huge grin on his face. "Immunity. So it seems as though I've run along someone special. Whoever yeh are must've consumed the Block Block Fruit."

Zato took a step back, realizing the strength and intelligence of his opponent. "So you know, huh."

"Block Block Fruit?" the child asked. Even the Marines seemed confused.

"I never expected to run along a Devil Fruit user here in the middle of nowhere. Alright yew magots, listen up. This kiddo ate a fruit just like the one I did, granting him special powers. The one he ate, Block Block Fruit, allows his body to cut down any excess damage and block off all substances or germs that are not 'welcome' there. The depth is still a mystery, which's why I've been trying to find the user so that I could kill 'em. That way I'd be able to examine its full powers."

"You missed many details," said Zato, surprising Adderbones. "And I'll show you them if you wanna see."

"It doesn't matter who yew are, yer still a runt in my way. So it's time for you to die! Hooook Slash!" Adderbones roared, charging and bringing his hook down upon Zato simultaneously. Zato leaped back, dodging the attack that tore through the ground. "Fast, huh? I'll take you out with my own speed. Hooook Barrage!"

Zato made an attempt to dive backwards, but Adderbones caught him right there with a flurry of jabs to his stomach. With a grin, Zato compressed his body and shouted, "Blooock Bloooooock…" Adderbones continued striking, hoping he could hit a vital point. "Return!!!" Zato finished, suddenly releasing his body forward.

A wave of energy tossed the admiral back into his supporting army, bringing terror amongst the Marines. "Admiral… flicked back so easily?!?"

Adderbones pushed himself back up onto his feet and watched as Zato made the same motion as before. "I see, so you absorb hits that come to you and then use stored energy to release it all back. Funny, I never knew those sides of the Block Block Fruit."

Raising his hook, Adderbones began to unbutton his coat, revealing some sort of vest around him… "So kiddo, let's see you face my true powers."


	4. Chapter 4: Road to Rogueport

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 4

The Road to Rogueport

Only the wind could be heard now, sweeping dust and debris across the now-crowded streets of the village. Zato faced the giant Admiral Wrinkleheart Adderbones, who reached for his pocket and grasped his gun. "You see, I ain't just made up of this big ole hook and some darts. I prefer annihilation the quick and effective way."

"You already know that bullets are useless…" Zato muttered.

"Fool, what do you think of me? Obviously, this gun is no ordinary one. Fortunately for me, it's made to destroy you," Adderbones hissed. "Observe! Shaaarp Shaarp SUPERSHOT!" Adderbones pulled the trigger hard, sending out a harpoon at a rapid speed straight towards Zato. "Shaarp Shaaarp Shatter!" he shouted once more, and the harpoon suddenly released out hundreds of tinier harpoons.

Zato gasped at the sight of the projectiles zipping towards him. He kicked off the ground and took position in mid-air. "Bloock Storage Release!" he cried, sending out another burst of energy. Adderbones dug his nails into the necks of two Marines and lifted them into the air, forming a human shield for his own defense. "Shaaarp Curve!" Adderbones cried. The harpoons, now having soared quite a distance away, suddenly flipped direction and shot back up into the air at Zato.

"What the…?!?" Zato started, then shouted, "Bloock Bloock Strike!" From the previous attacks, he formed a small solid barrier in front of him. Unfortunately, the projectiles crashed straight through and proceeded towards striking their target. "Ahh!" Zato cried, taking the hit directly.

"I knew it, kiddo. Yer nothin' but a regular human once I bring out this toy. Sure you can handle external combat, but what happens when something goes straight through you? And now, Shaaarp Shooock!!!" Adderbones flicked his fingers, suddenly revealed the invisible rope that he had been using to move the harpoons all along. Clicking a section of his outfit, he sent an electric current down the rope, bringing peril to Zato.

"Block Block Magnet!" Zato suddenly cried, and all the electricity came soaring to his body, charging him up. "Sure, you hit me hard, but my Block Block Fruit still works well. Bloock Blooock Jolt!" he cried, releasing the attracted electricity out towards Adderbones.

"Ahhh!!!" the admiral and his Marines all hollered together upon being fried by the power. "Damn you…" Adderbones murmured as he pulled himself together. "I never thought yew'd get this far. Not bad, though. I'm interested in your powers, whelp, but yew just got lucky this time. Come on, yew layabouts, let's get goin'!"

The Marines turned around and began to retreat from the village.

\/\-/\/

Down a kilometer or so from the ruckus lay the empty ship. Well, mostly empty. Fuyu swept across the field till he came behind a short wall. Arming himself with his sword and daggers, he prepared his next move. 'It's clearly difficult to head straight into Rogueport… and nearly impossible to get to the Marine Base without being caught. But no previous invaders ever thought about sneaking in through the base's vulnerable point. All I've gotta do is take this ship, and with that fool Zato taking care of those Marines back there, it shouldn't be so difficult.'

Fuyu crept out of the darkness and slit the first guard's throat. "Sorry, but you only stand as an obstacle for me."

He swung up along the sides of the hailing ship and tore through two more guards. "This baby's all mine," he said, grinning. "And I intend to use it well."

Admiral Adderbones and his Marines crossed over into the field only to see their very own ship heading back towards Rogueport. "What the…!" Adderbones cried. "Who in tarnations is ridin' my ship?!?"

Back at the village, Zato quickly restored himself to his prior condition and immediately set out on the road. "Of course, I'll make sure those Marines are down. Besides, I don't wanna lose Fuyu yet, do I?"


	5. Chapter 5: Wrong Way In

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 5

Wrong Way Soaring In

Nearly an hour had passed. Adderbones, frustrated by the lack of progress, paced back and forth across the room he located himself in. Cursing under his breath, he thought about the events that brought him there…

"Damn! How could he have dealt with me so easily? Is the Block Block Fruit really that powerful. Argh… well any being has a heart, no matter what kind it is. If that fool dares come here, I'll rip him up into pieces."

Flushing back to the shoreline of the village, Fuyu hung off the wrecked starboard of his once-captured ship. 'How in the world did they destroy it so fast?!? That admiral is something… but lemme focus on fixing my little problem here.'

As soon as Adderbones had made sight of his ship heading off, he went berserks. "What the devil?!? Someone catch my ship afore that intruder gets back."

Fuyu ignored his pursuers at shore and proceeded in moving towards the end of the island. That was his mistake… as soon as he curved around the extending leg of land, a fleet of Marine ships confronted him at once. They were led by none other than _Storm Devil_, one of the most feared vessels in the region. He who mastered it stood upon the front deck, waving his fist mightily as he sent a mass of orders through his crew. Cannonballs soared back and forth in an array of confusion, eventually leading to Fuyu's humiliating defeat.

Adderbones slammed his fist down on his desk once more, spitting into the half-cracked mirror to cover the filthy image of his teeth. "Thinkin' he can just walk off with that ship of his like that. Oh, mark my words, Akaiso, I will crush you one day… but instead I'm stuck wanderin' about while Admiral Kragin gets his break. _Storm Devil_ pushed out into the wild sea once more, and then still Fuyu Sashimi runnin' round."

The door flew open and a hooded figure entered. "Adderbones, the whereabouts of Fuyu Sashimi have been located. It seems as though he was the one commanding your ship earlier. Despite Kragin's move, he is still alive, and imposes a threat to the government's current plan."

Adderbones took a step towards the newly installed technology screen. "A threat he is. And if the government's plan fails, they won't be very pleased. Fuyu's comin' back, alright, along with that kiddo. Set up a strong defense around the fort! I'll be in here, transferrin' a few documents and gettin' the plan out of here."

In a flash, the admiral's guest flickered away, leaving him alone in his dimly-lit room. "Akaiso… I've already gotten a piece of your Works. Once yew emerge from those shadows, it'll take no longer than a second to finish you off. And once that occurs, I'll have the power of a Shichibukai!"

\/\/-\/\/

Standing before the entrance gates of the terrifying city ahead, Zato thought to himself about what was to be done. "Destroy the fortress… I wasn't happy with that idea, but after seeing the admiral, there's no way I'm sparing them."

A quick greeting as a rotten tomato arrived at once, splattering upon Zato's face. "Ugh, disgusting…"

"All troops are to make their way to the front gate! Intruder Zato Alba, boy who single-handedly overcame Admiral Adderbones faces Rogueport at this exact moment."

Zato watched in consternation as Marines suddenly began lining the top of the massive walls standing in front of him. "A barrier… already?"

"Fire!" one Marine shouted, and a line of bullets dashed through the air until they were absorbed completely into him. "What?!?"

"Block Block Rebound!" Zato cried, sending all of the absorbed energy back at his new opponents. With a quick burst they collapsed, and one by one fell down from the wall.

"Shoot the cannonballs now!" the same Marine roared once more. Zato gasped at the sight of three cannons docking over the edge of the barrier. _Boom!_ "Block Block Spring!"

The occurance of a great explosion gave the Marines a great cheer, thinking that victory had come so quickly and easily. Unfortunately, Zato was spotted bouncing from one obstacle to another at a tremendous speed. Eventually he regained balance and speed, allowing him to reach the ground safely. "All I've shown is this devil fruit's defensive powers. I think it's time I revealed my offensive strength! Block Block… MISSILE!"

Without warning Zato burst off the ground, tearing a hole straight through the gate. As he landed roughly on the other side, the surviving Marines shrieked as the whole wall itself came down. "That wasn't too bad… but where did that tomato come from?"

He pushed himself off the ground and immediately flew down the streets, making his way towards the one landmark that stood out the most – the great Marine Base.

Standing upon the balcony was none other than Adderbones himself. "I don't care how strong he thinks he is, that kiddo's goin' down this time! Let's see if he can get past the first trap!"

Zato suddenly stopped moving, bringing shock to all of the Marines awaiting him at the base. In front of him was a clearly visible blanket. He whipped it up, revealing an unburied land mine. "Pathetic. But let's see how strong it is. Block Block…"

Smoke and dust blew up and formed a massive cloud of destruction. Adderbones' jaw dropped – he had seen through the trap and still let it explode?!? "How the hell did he manage to stop me before?"

One male shouted, "Look out! He's riding the explosion!" Zato shot out of the cloud, faster than his missile form. "This way's much easier to get to the fort… Block Block Release!"

Another explosion allowed for him to shoot even higher up into the sky. The only problem – he landed head first straight in front of Adderbones, he who had his rapier polished and ready at once.


	6. Chapter 6: Flash Strike

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 6

Fuyu's Flash Strike

Shouting flooded through the streets of the wretched town. Innocent citizens locked themselves up and marines filed down every stretch possible, ensuring that their target would be unable to escape.

Adderbones immediately threw Zato up into his hands, grinning as his fingers slowly began to sharpen as if they were morphing into weapons. "Unfortunately last time I was rushed and couldn't show you my abilities. I used brute strength. Let's see you take on the powers of the fruit I consumed!"

'So he too has a power?' Zato thought, attempting to break free.

"Sharp Sharp Barrage!" Adderbones roared, sending a flurry of jabs, only these with much more power than the ones before. Zato kicked away and responded, "Block Block Wall!", releasing energy to negate the offense.

The admiral, however, came nowhere near the end of his attack. "Twirling Spear!" he roared once more. His hand began to protrude outwards and rapidly spin. "Sharp Sharp Strike!" Without warning Adderbones dug his new weapon through Zato's heart. "Venom Dance!" Zato suddenly turned pale…

'Damn, he was smart enough to attack the heart before injecting the poison!' He kicked his leg upwards into Adderbones' chest, finally breaking himself free. Landing at the edge of the balcony, he began taking deep breaths to compensate for the recent damage he took. "This… this isn't over!"

\/\/-\/\/

As the chaos leapt to be the center of attention, Fuyu crept alongside the western wall, hoping he could manage to slip in. "I got here in one piece, now how shall I approach this?"

Voices above startled him, and he dived into a bush before two Marines could look over the lower balcony. "Thought I heard somethin'… well anyways, did you hear about the whereabouts of the second target?"

The second Marine softly tapped the railing as he mumbled to himself. "Second target… I thought the boy who stopped Adderbones back at the village was our only focus."

Without previously even knowing it, the men gasped at the sudden sight of Fuyu standing beside them. "So, who's the second target?"

"Fuyu Sashimi!" they both cried, only to be knocked down the ground. "Damn… hit the Alarm Mushi!!!" One of the pair swiftly produced a Den Den Mushi, only this one held a button at the top. His thumb dropped down to punch it, but Fuyu sliced it off with a quick dagger toss. "I don't know what that is, but after hearing Alarm, I don't think I want that thing going off."

Jerking his two weapons out of his previous focus, Fuyu slipped them into their sheath and made his way into the massive marine base. "Surprising how Zato still lives… but his purpose is to serve as a distraction. Now it's time I revealed my two-sword combat. _Nitoryu: Wangetsu Hamaguri_" (Two Sword Style: Crescent Clam).

Bringing together his two swords, Fuyu crushed through the walls standing in his path. He startled a pack of marines who at once began firing at him. "_Nitoryu: Senkou Sutoraiki!_" (Flash Strike) Within a second he had torn through the room, slaughtering every single opponent in his way. The response was a loud alarm ringing through the whole base, which he sighed about.

Before Fuyu knew it, he had been completely surrounded. "Tch, how many of ya'll are there?"

"Trespassing into one of the six marine bases of West Blue is a serious crime, especially for you, Fuyu Sashimi," said Lieutenant Doki. "What your ambitions are I care not of. The bounty upon your head is all that matters, which is why you're going to die here right now."

"It's you, the one who gave me my bounty. Fortunately I take it as a compliment, so make sure you tell your replacement to crank it up after this – _Nitoryu: Aka no Basu!_" (Blood Bath) Doki stretched his arms out and dragged two of his underlings into the way of the attack, defending himself just before Fuyu could slay him. "Interesting, Lieutenant. I never thought you were the type to sacrifice your own people."

Without order a gunshot occurred. Fuyu swiftly ducked, spinning around on the floor in order to trip the enemies around him. "_Nitoryu: Bouseki no Hasu!_" (Twirling Lotus) Suddenly, there was a scream, bringing panic to Doki. Fuyu had managed to spin at an incredible speed with his swords, finally breaking a hole in the floor. Over a dozen marines fell with him to the library below, half of whom were instantly paralyzed or killed by the damage taken.

Doki leapt down to follow Fuyu and dived around the library as the two began their fight. The lieutenant crept from aisle to aisle, searching for his target. "You know you're completely trapped, don't you, Fuyu?"

Out of nowhere came a blast from the shelf, as Fuyu tore straight through it and swung his blades at Doki. "Of course I'm trapped, but that doesn't mean I won't get out!" Shocking the lieutenant, Fuyu kicked off his back and took a great stride in mid-air, grabbing onto the ledge of the upper floor. Using his upper strength, he yanked his body completely over and turned to face Doki. "Sorry I can't keep playing, but you aren't the one I'm looking for. Here's a little treat before I bust up this playground of yours!"

Doki's eyes bulged at the sight of a dagger heading straight his way. Fuyu walked away from the site of destruction, and away from the scream of the lieutenant. "Three documents, that's all I'm here for. And once I've got them, this place will be down in flames."

With that, Fuyu stuck his weapons back in their sheaths and dashed down the final hallway.

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Sorry for many delays. I'll try to get going faster, but…**

**Anyways, I'm also using a mix of Japanese and regular attack names. Fuyu's I prefer to use as Japanese.**

**Enjoy, don't forget to review!**


	7. Chapter 7: Zato's Rogueport Finish

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 7

Zato vs Rogueport

Zato dived backwards to avoid another strike from his opponent. Catching his foot upon the edge of the balcony, he grasped hold of two beams supporting the structure. "Tryin' to run away?!?" Regaru exploded, rushing to attack once more.

Unfortunately, Zato's plan had succeeded, as the supporting beams instantly cracked upon being the target of his Block Block Fountain. "Damn!" the admiral cried as the whole balcony came soaring down to the ground. Zato swung from one pillar to another, proceeding with his technique. Regaru, on the other hand, tore off a whole section of his hair and slowly converted it into thin needles.

Flicking his new weapons, he cried out, "Venom Swarm!"

"Block Block Decoy!" Zato responded, and a fake figure appeared in front of him. Within a second the decoy had been transformed into what seemed to be a hedgehog – Regaru's needles zipped through every possible section. Zato slid down the second to last pillar in his path and dashed across the field, flickering past any soldier that came for him. He finally took his position upon an easily seen ledge and spread his arms out wide.

"Idiots, don't shoot!" Regaru roared. "His fruit will just absorb it all!"

Too late… bullets came at him at once.

Regaru cursed before the fort went down in flames.

\/\/-\/\/

Fuyu stood in Regaru's office inspecting the documents laying about when the disaster occurred. He crashed out the window at once, but took a swift dive straight into a block of concrete. Blood gashed out of the wound in his head, and he reached for his weapons that had dug into the ground.

A leg dropped down upon his hand, and he shrieked out in pain. "What the…!" he cried as Doki rolled him aside.

"You got away stealthily there. I tell you, Fuyu, your tactics are beyond pathetic. Hitting and running won't work – you'll easily get caught. And here I've caught you in the place I expected you to be. Obviously breaking out of the office window would've been your choice of action."

'Damn, I'm unarmed and he's got me here!' Fuyu thought. Doki swung his leg once more, this time aiming for Fuyu's head. The swordsman flipping countered the swift move, and the two clashed once more.

"Block Block…!" a voice cried in the distance.

"NO!" Regaru roared back, showing Fuyu that Zato had succeeded.

"So the explosion was him…" Fuyu started. Doki struck once more, failing to hit after Fuyu blocked through instinct.

_Fuyu escapes, making his way to the near shoreline where he meets up with Zato, who sent Regaru soaring away into the skies, perhaps to another island. The Marine Base was destroyed, but now there a Vice-Admiral and his marines surrounding the two._

"When did they come?" Fuyu hissed at the sight of millions of marines lining up in front of him. Zato looked in every direction and saw that they were completely trapped. "The sea's to our backs. If we don't act now, they'll kill us!"

From out of nowhere a cannonball soared over and crashed in the center of the Marines. Both Fuyu and Zato spun around to see an old and beaten up ship anchored at the shore. "When did that appear?!?" Doki shouted.

A hooded figure standing upon the deck waved to Fuyu and Zato, ushering them to come on board. "Quick, escape while we can!"

They followed their savior's orders, and the three set out away from the city that brought them disasters.

Zato looked up into the sky with a grin, bringing further puzzlement to Fuyu. "Welcome… to the Shooting Star Pirates!"

**Zato has recruited Fuyu as a member of his new crew. As for the little plot skip in **_**italics**_**, I couldn't find something to put there, and I was in a rush. Those things won't happen to much.**

**Many apologies for the very late delay. I've been very preoccupied with stuff /, but I shall continue this story. As for the Naruto story… you may want to wait (**

**I have this story planned so things should go smoothly; a spring break is coming soon, and I'm glad to be nearing the release date of Super Smash Brawl.**

**Enjoy, don't forget to review.**


	8. Chapter 8: Windy Welcome

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 8

Windy Welcome

_Creak! Crunch!_ Squeaky noises filled the library's night. A lone shadow emerged from the dogpile of ancient books, those which let up a cloud of dust that settled in the air as if meditating on the events to come. "Ugh, it was here last night!" the voice in the center hissed.

"Who's there?!" a second and loud voice roared from the entrance. Candles lit all of a sudden, catching the girl in her tracks. "Tohru, not again!" the guard shouted. "You know that the library is closed at night, and the restricted section… why else is it called the ­_restricted_ section?!?"

"Let the girl be, Roiyaru. You yourself should know that a few simple rules will definetly not keep her from coming back. After all, she is a cartographer," the old librarian cried in his battered voice. "This library holds many secrets about West Blue… the sea is vast, Roiyaru. And so is knowledge. She seeks it, we mustn't hold her from it!"

Roiyaru took a glance at the shy girl. "Tohru…" he started. "Jii-san. You must understand, her father will not prohibit this! I've held my mouth shut for long enough, and I've been helping her! If Master Makino learns of this… _all_ of this, then my head will surely be taken!"

"Head be taken?" Makino suddenly shouted, causing Roiyaru to squeal. "Master… Makino…! Forgive me, please! I… I only wished for the best for your daughter!"

Makino stared at his loyal servant, the man who currently sobbed at his feet. "Roiyaru…? Nothing's wrong. I won't take your head," he responded, bringing relief to Roiyaru. "As for you Tohru!" he suddenly snapped. "Sneaking in countless times, is it? I told you, I won't accept you being a cartographer! That rate, you'll meet some pirates and then go join them, get captured, and your life will be spent like the girl from Ohara! I've told you, do you want to be like Nico Robin?!?"

"Nico Robin is a good person!!" Tohru suddenly screamed back. "I don't want to laze my life here doing nothing but sitting and giving orders! I told you, I want to go out to sea!"

The doors slammed open once more, this time being Makino's watchmen. "Master, we have an emergency!!! Pirates have been spotted in the distance, and they're heading this way!" Tohru's face filled with excitement, and she attempted to back away through the secret exit. "Tohru!" Roiyaru hissed.

"Let her go for now, I'll deal with her later. Just make sure she stays away from the pirates!" Makino barked as his messengers escorted him out of the room.

\/\/-\/\/

Zato paced back and forth, not even taking the measure to identify his savior. Fuyu ignored what was going on and simply took a nap, tired after the events in Rogueport. "The grand West Blue is the perfect sea for us to journey on. With all the obstacles, the long mountainous barriers… _everything_! And at the end, we can take a ride up the West Knock Up Stream and reach the goal – a kingdom in the sky."

"Sounds a lot like the Grand Line. Don't tell me we're heading to Skypeia."

"Skypeia, psh, no way!" Zato exclaimed. Before any further conversation could go on, a cannonball splashed directly in front of their ship, giving Zato a bit of worry. "What's going on?!?"

The 'captain' pointed in the distance to a windmill hanging on the coast. "We've sailed to the southern tip of the Listwind Caribbean Chain – Windmill Peak."

"Windmill Peak? We're already here?" Fuyu asked, shocked that they had covered the distance in one night. "Well, where'd that cannonball come from?"

"Watch out!" Zato shouted before shooting himself into the air to block another cannonball. "Thriller Kick!" He whacked the ball downwards and prepared to make a desperate move. "Let's go Fuyu!"

"What do you mean?!?" Fuyu roared, grasping the railing on the ship. "Zato, where are you going?"

"Thanks… whoever you are!" Zato cried to the hooded person. "Unfortunately my mind wasn't set on finding out who you were!"

"Ouch…" Fuyu muttered, only to find himself being dragged into the air the next second. "What the hell!!"

"Block Block Skyscraper!" he yelled once more, and the two exploded into the air.

"Retaard!!!" Fuyu screamed as the two shot out into the sky.

Tohru watched from her balcony as the pirate ship turned around and moved away. "Why…?" she muttered. "Father, why did you scare them off? They did nothing!"

Roiyaru stood behind, relieved to see the ship disappearing in the horizon. "Be glad, Tohru. Pirates are not to be trusted."

The next second, Zato and Fuyu crash landed straight into the side of the windmill. Roiyaru gasped and ducked behind Tohru, frightened and brought to shock by the occurance.

Just as he leaned forward to hold onto her legs, Tohru dashed to the right, causing Roiyaru to fall and smack his head against the concrete balcony. "Owww… wait… Tohru! Come back!"

'Those two are pirates! This is my chance! Jii-san will understand, I'll tell him to tell everyone. If I can go now, then things will run smoothly!'

She was stopped by none other than her father. "Where do you think you're going? I told you that you are to stay away from the pirates!"

"I want to go to sea! This is my perfect opportunity! I want to have my own adventure!"

"I'm telling you this because you are my daughter, and I care for your well being! Pirates have never been good people. Female pirates are cunning vixen, they wheedle captains, they trick and they run! They're nothing but trash, trash who have committed severe crimes! Nico Robin, the destroyer of six navy ships and the keeper of information on the… Poneglyphs!"

The watchmen behind Makino suddenly gasped, shocked that their master would speak of connections to the Void Century. "Nico Robin, Nami, Alvida, all of them. They're wretched females! Joining pirates will make you nothing but another one of them! That's why you must stay! I don't want you to leave!"

Tohru slammed her fist against the stone walls and began to wail. Roiyaru rushed into the hall, sweating with nervousness. "Master… I… I apologize. The pirates… they crashed into the windmill! I… was scared… is… oh dear… Tohru, are you alright?"

Suddenly, the two watchmen collapsed. Roiyaru shrieked at the sight of Fuyu approaching Makino from behind. "Master!"

_Clink!_ Fuyu's blade was stopped by some sort of rod. Tohru had slid past her father and blocked the swordsman's move. "Stay… back!"

Zato rushed into the hall and shouted, "Asshole, what are you doing?!?"

Fuyu shrugged his shoulders. "Simply bloodthirsty," he responded, leaving Roiyaru with a second shriek.

"Surprising how you two pirates got in here," Makino whispered, staying in his position. "Tohru, I don't know why, but I feel as though my opinion just changed. Which one of you is the captain?"

Before Fuyu could speak, Zato stepped forward. "That would be me." Fuyu rolled his eyes and lifted the two bodies of the watchmen, shaking them gently. "Come on, I know you're not dead. I hit you with the back of my swords."

The two of them sweated rapidly, though they tried to conceal their shaking. "Alright, do you want me to really kill you?" Fuyu hissed into their ears. Both immediately burst up with energy, laughing as though nothing happened.

"You would be…" Makino asked.

"Zato Alba."

"Tohru, you wanted to join these pirates?"

Tohru looked up with a smile, grinning. "It's more than just pirates. Going out to sea! I want to meet…"

"Zato, may I ask you a favor?" Makino asked once again.

\/\/-\/\/

Within an hour, Tohru had her pack set, and the new crew of three was on its way, sailing in a boat along the shoreline. Makino waved, yelling, "Be safe, Tohru! I apologize!"

"I see you learned, Makino," the old librarian whispered, appearing at his side. "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it's yours. And I truly believe Tohru shall return."

"I trust that they'll keep an eye on her. If going to sea was her dream, then I should never have held her back. This Zato Alba… I truly wonder who he is."

Fuyu yawned and stretched his arms, ready to take another rest. "How lazy can you get? It's not even noon yet and you're tired. Come on, I did more of the fighting at Rogueport!"

"Rogueport?!?" Tohru gasped. "What were you doing there?"

"Blowing up the marine base," Fuyu said before snoozing. Tohru nearly began sobbing. "They… destroyed the Marine Base?!? What sorta pirates did I get myself involved with!?"

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Zato, Fuyu, and new Tohru sail for a short time… but how can these three face a cunning gang? When Zato and Fuyu are both deceived, it's up to Tohru to turn the tide!**

**Next Chapter – Windmill Dash!**


	9. Chapter 9: Windmill Dash

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 9

Windmill Dash

"Get moving," he sniggered, tossing the last barrel onto the boat. "If we keep up this steady pace, we'll reach the island by sunrise."

The gang showed that it was no crew to be messed with. "Baah," the second man muttered. "My interests are more towards getting the head of this kiddo." He produced a beaten-up flyer with Zato's picture smacked on top.

"I dunno if I'm to believe it, but to have destroyed Rogueport's base, that sure is something. I'm surprised it wasn't someone with a greater reputation… like Akaiso," the third responded.

"Akaiso? How could a Shichibukai like him go against the government?" the first roared.

"You haven't heard? Kniex 'Storm' Akaiso supposedly runs a massive organization following previous Shichibukai Sir Crocodile's works!" the fourth spat. "But he isn't our focus. Two priorities – deliver these barrels and catch Zato Alba."

The gang pushed off from the shore to face the rough sea. Floating out of their hands, the flyer whipped into the air and lay itself upon the coastline. Printed upon its page were the digits 50,000,000.

\/\/-\/\/

"It's been some time, Tohru," Zato murmured as their boat made its way through a small fog. "Simply sailing along the shoreline will get us nowhere. We'll end up going around in circles and circles, and eventually we'll pop up in Rogueport again."

"I know what I'm doing!" she replied with a small map of the Listwind Caribbean Chain in her hands. "We're currently at the southernmost portion of this section of the sea. All we have to do is keep heading this way till we get to the nearby city, and from there we can shoot off north towards the Gate to Kisho! Unless you want to go on a voyage in a different direction, then we're headed this way."

"Nearby city?" Fuyu asked. "I'm not sure if we'd wanna go to a city yet. Clearly you have no idea about my name around here. Besides, marines will be patrolling around and hunting us down. Who knows, you may have gotten a bounty, Zato."

"Bounty?" said Tohru. "You mean… they're gonna put a value on your head… and people are gonna hunt you down?"

In the distance, the gang's boat headed in a straight line towards the coastline.

gang's boat ---- OOOO 

Zato's boat ----- OOO 

"Look! Something's moving there!" the first shouted, alerting Zato's crew.

"What was that?" Tohru cried, but Fuyu pushed her down before a harpoon went through her head, causing Tohru to scream out of shock.

"Zato, can you see them?" Fuyu hissed, spinning around in all directions. "Damn this fog, I'd have killed them by now if it weren't here!"

"They're behind us to our left, but I can't see anything else!" Zato responded. "But I'll take care of them quick. Watch everything here…"

In a flash, Zato disappeared off their boat. Fuyu cursed and directed it towards land, hoping he could get a better view from there.

Fuyu climbed onto the shore and gazed out. There was no luck. "Zato? Where are you?" There was no response.

/\/\-/\/\

"Quick, toss him in the warehouse!" one of the crew members hissed. "Make sure he's in that cage, I don't want him running around loose!"

Zato's eyes drooped, and consciousness faded. 'How'd they win so easily..?' he thought to himself before collapsing.

Fuyu and Tohru stood outside, both with worried looks. "To have gotten Zato they have to be good. Tohru, stay out here. I'll go in and check 'em out."

Fuyu entered into the hazy environment and noted several blurs whizzing past him from all directions. "I know you're there," he whispered. "I just don't know which one would be best to take out first. How 'bout I work my sword combo on all of you together? _Nitoryu: Hurricane Split!_"

The smog blocking his vision quickly cleared, allowing him to dive at the pirates rushing about. "_One Split!_" he shouted, bringing down the first of the members in his way. "_Two Split!_" he shouted once more, taking another opponent out. "_Spiral Split!_" This time, Fuyu spun into the air and brought his weapons down upon the remaining two members. To his surprise, the last strike came out unsuccessful, as his swords were quickly swept out of his hands by the mysterious fifth member.

"Powerful you are, Fuyu Sashimi. I'm astounded by the fact that you are actually a member of Zato's crew. However, in our battlefield, you stand no chance!"

He found himself joining Zato the next moment, though he instead had been chained up to the wall. "It's hard to believe such amateurs deal us one hundred million Beri right here. Doki's message informed us of your team combo wiping out the entire Rogueport defense, and escaping in the nick of time before being obliterated."

Tohru, who out of curiosity, had ended up in the air shafts, put her ear up close to the side and listened in carefully. "Did he just say _one hundred million_? Those two combined have that great a bounty on their heads?"

"What's that noise!" the gang leader shouted, and all five shot their heads upwards.

'Oh boy…' Tohru thought. 'I'll just crawl away and they won't notice me.'

She took one step and the entire roof came crashing down. The leader (mysterious fifth, AKA Raiga Dogiri) stared at the pile of rubble that had conquered two of his underlings. "I thought we only had two enemies. Don't tell me Zato has a larger crew. Could it be that he has an army?"

The dust cleared and Tohru walked out into the clear space, coughing as she exited. "Ack… geez it didn't break when I came in." She took another step and accidentally tripped this time, landing head first into the ground.

"Are you a part of Zato's crew?" Raiga asked, immediately drawing his blade. Tohru's eyes widened with fear. "Er… Zato's crew? You.. you mean that guy who held me prisoner? Please don't kill me!"

Fuyu went into a self frenzy, trying to break free from the wall. "BAKA! Stupid girl! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING?"

"That crazy swordsman even tried to kill me!" Tohru cried, dropping down to her knees and sobbing.

"I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU ONCE THIS IS THROUGH!"

Raiga took the blade to Tohru's neck. "Stupid treacherous brats don't really deserve to live."

"That's why you should kill Zato!" Tohru sobbed. "He's the evil one!"

Raiga took his blade back and faced Zato and Fuyu. "This girl is of no importance. Whether she lies or not, you're still my targets. And since she obviously wants you dead, I shall make her wishes come true." Raiga charged, but a response was two _thud_ noises.

"Loser, you should've delt with the free one first!" Tohru chuckled. The two remaining gang members collapsed in front of her. "Now you're all alone."

"So you want to fight?" Raiga muttered. Tohru choked. 'Crap! What have I gotten myself into?' Raiga turned around and came at her with his sword. Tohru squealed and dashed in the opposite direction, sending Fuyu into another frenzy.

"Don't just run you stupid girl!"

Raiga chased her in and out, finally stopping to catch his breath. "God, can she do anything else other than run?"

"The answer to that is yes!" Tohru responded with a grin, and she jumped to Fuyu's side. "You take care of him!" she cried, breaking the chains with her rod.

Fuyu flung a dagger at Raiga and came at him with full power. "Tohru, just wait till we set out again!"

_Crack! Bust! Thud!_ Raiga lay on the ground, his face busted up, blood oozing out of his head. "You cheap rascals… wait till I get my hands on you next time."

_Whack!_ Tohru beat him across the face once with her rod, sighing, "He sure was a toughie."

The next minute she was dashing again, this time from Fuyu.

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**A trick… the one who helped them has turned his back? And now we learn of the hooded figure's identity. Rather shocking!**

**Enjoy, make sure you review!**


	10. Chapter 10: Pillage

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 10

Pillage

"Make your report quick," the voice on the other end of the Den Den Mushi said brusquely. "It looks as though Darkside is more of a trouble than I thought. Have you delivered the barrels?"

Raiga sighed before speaking. "Unfortunately our mission was a failure. We were… sidetracked. A new bounty has appeared, and this little crew doesn't deserve such value. Zato Alba and Fuyu Sashimi have joined forces."

"So it was a failure?"

"Yes."

"Our plan shall be executed soon. I'll remember the name Zato Alba. And you should remember this – failure will not be accepted next time."

\/\/-\/\/

"Are we nearing this town you speak of, Tohru?" Fuyu inquired.

"We should arrive by nightfall. According to my map, there should be a warehouse nearby," she responded.

Zato leaned over in curiosity. "Warehouse? Hopefully it's not another gang hideout."

"Kraigo Warehouse," Tohru muttered. "My father told me that the area around here held a dangerous creature... but no gangs have been heard of."

Fuyu clasped hold of his sword. "Creature, huh? This looks like it'll be an adventure."

\/\/-\/\/

A figure swept through the forest as Zato stepped out of the rowboat to take a quick stretch. "It's been three days since Rogueport, and the government hasn't attacked yet. I think we'll be fine."

"You think it'll take just three days for them to find us? And you think that after this much time they won't even come?" Tohru cried. "Seriously, they'll be after us."

"Maybe not you since you like to lie, causing me to wonder why you joined our crew…" Fuyu started. Tohru beat him on the head with her rod to silence him.

Zato stepped in between. "There's a 'dangerous creature' out there, so stop quarreling."

"We're sorry," they both blankly responded in chorus.

Their hooded savior watched from behind a tree. 'Zato Alba…' he/she/it muttered.

The group continued hiking through the forest till they reached a massive warehouse. "You think we should just barge in?" Fuyu asked his captain.

"No, we shouldn't barge in from the front. We'll explode in from the top…"

They soon entered, forgetting the fact that there was a 'dangerous creature' around.

Tohru's eyes widened at the sight of the hundreds of barrels and stacks of food and lumber. "Who could've left all this behind?"

"Is the food good?" Fuyu asked.

Zato took a bite out of a loaf of bread, and spat, "Yeah, it's not bad." Both Fuyu and Tohru choked him in attempts to get the food out.

Tohru and Fuyu swung Zato back and forth, hoping they could beat some sense into him.

Their noise prevented them from hearing the presence of the fourth "living thing".

Zato gasped and knocked both Tohru and Fuyu aside so they could dodge the "dangerous creature".

It had already made its attack.

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**A short chapter, but it'll continue in the next. This creature is something rather unexpected. How will Zato cope with this?**

**Enjoy, make sure to review!**


	11. Chapter 11: Who is This? Mike Jinsoku!

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 11

Mike? Who is This?

"Zato!" Fuyu shouted, brandishing his weapons at the exact moment.

Their captain attempted to push away his offender, but it was no use. "Wait, you're the person who saved us!"

The hooded savior leapt back, still not revealing his identity. "Zato.. Alba! Get away from here!"

Tohru suddenly grabbed his cloak from behind and ripped it off, stunning all three of them. It wasn't human.

"Is this the 'dangerous creature' you spoke of?" Fuyu asked. Standing in front of them… was a panther.

"A talking panther wearing a massive veil that rescues us from the Marines. Am I dreaming?" Zato muttered. Their new friend produced a few flyers. "What are these?"

Zato looked up at the panther… but he wasn't there. "Holy…!" Tohru started. Before she could say anything else, she fainted. Zato looked down to see a small black kitten walking on two feet in the panther's place.

"Where'd he go?"

"I'm right here!!" the kitten roared, suddenly becoming a massive figure.

Fuyu chuckled to himself, realizing what was going on. "I never knew we could find duplicate devil fruits," he started. "And it's surprising that we stumbled across one around here. Here guys, take a look at this photo." He reached for the paper at the bottom of the stack with a picture of a crew.

STRAW HAT PIRATE CREW! BOUNTY: 700,000,050 Beri!

Close to the center of the crew stood an animal similar to the one with them, only it wasn't a panther. "Is that a moose that transformed like he did?"

_Bang!_ Tohru beat him quickly and shrieked, "THAT'S A REINDEER BAKA! HAVEN'T YOU HEARD OF TONY TONY CHOPPER?!"

The monster beside them shrunk back to the size of a kitten. "Think of me as Tony Tony Chopper. But I'm Mike… Mike… Jinsoku."

"Hito Gotta no Mi, Model: Kurohyou – Human Mix Form Fruit, Model: Panther. I never thought it existed." Fuyu said.

Mike took over. "For an animal, it morphs them into forms that blend human characteristics, such as speaking as this, and walking on two feet. I can use a total of four forms – normal, human giant, focus, and one other."

"So what's your purpose of coming here and attacking us?"

"I… seek my old master," Mike muttered.

Tohru began to stroke his head, causing Mike to jump back as if offended. "You can't touch me!!"

"Then tell us about your past. If this is a Model Panther fruit, then obviously you were a different animal before," Zato responded.

Mike returned to his small cat-like form and began weaving his yarn. "It began years before in the stormy seas of the Northwest Sea. I remained only a mere kitten at that time. Before my life was brought here south, I sailed with the greatest pirates I have ever known – the Saber Star Crew. And leading them with his majesty… my old master – Captain Warren 'Saikou Jentou Bouryokudan' Tarento!"

Zato, Tohru, and Fuyu stared at Mike blankly, causing the panther to collapse with sorrow. "I thought… it was epic… he was a great man… I thought you should've known him."

"Nope, never heard of him, neither do we really care," Tohru whispered. _Crash! Clang! Slam!_ Fuyu and Zato managed to hold Mike back before he could kill her.

"Captain Warren prized me as a valuable crew member. He used the word… _nakama_ only with me. He was a supreme being to our crew, but a scoundrel, a rotten gangster in the eyes of the government. It wasn't long before our crew invaded a Marine Stronghold that had caused us trouble all along the way…

"And then, a man going by the name Akaiso rose in the ranks of officers. The Grand Marine Headquarters assigned him with the task of taking down our crew. That's just what his aims were.

"As we rested from our previous battle, his bounty suddenly came in! A single attack and he was given one wild bounty – he who brought the head of Warren Tarento would be immediately promoted to Shichibukai rank… and a bounty of 300 million was placed for further encouragement!"

"300 million Beri??" Zato and Tohru shouted.

Fuyu smirked at their response, saying, "You know, the World Government is one to reach extreme limits at times. Let me guess, pirates all over the sea attacked your crew at once?"

Mike put his head down as he finished the tale. "Akaiso came after five consecutive battles we faced. Captain Warren was worn out enough… our crew begged to Akaiso for mercy.

"He agreed… and formed a thick layer of ice around Warren right there, saying he wouldn't let him live in torture rather than slaying him at once. To follow up, he shocked my crew by forcing me to swallow the devil fruit as a whole in front of Warren, and then flung me into the sea. With that, he quickly destroyed the ship. I heard Warren's final words… to run, before he was taken."

"They killed your former master?" Tohru moaned, coming close to pet Mike once more. He bit her finger and made it bleed a bit to prevent her from reaching.

"That's why… Zato Alba. I ask of one thing – please let me join this crew! I want to sail out and find those things that I lost. And I want to be at sea once more, to find my lost crew. And to find the treasure that Warren himself seeked – the secrets of the Void Century at the Grand Kingdom of the Sky!"

Fuyu and Tohru pushed themselves off the ground with grins on their faces while Zato kept his head down. "As the captain of the new Star crew… I welcome you aboard!"

"but Zato… we aren't on the ship yet," responded Tohru.

_Whack! Whack! Smack!_ "Ack… geez, I was just saying, Fuyu…" _Whack!_ "Fine! I'll shutup!"

**With Mike Jinsoku as the newest members, the new Star Pirates move on to the next point of the island chain – Commence Town, said to be the Town of Beginning.**

**From there, they will set out to the vast sea!**

**Enjoy, and review ******


	12. Chapter 12: Four Sail to Sea

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

_Tohru's Diary_

_Day 4: With much enthusiasm, the four of us entered the lovely Commence Town, said to be a common spot for tourists and rarely ever pirates. Luckily we don't have a ship yet so we shouldn't be recognized – this town is not one for pirates. But this is the town where we will stock up on everything. I'm ready to see Mike Jinsoku's pirate skills… what sort of profession will he get? He spoke something of medicine earlier…_

Chapter 12

Four Sail to Sea

Mike seemed shy as he made his way through the early streets of the town. Fuyu looked around in a casual manner – hands in pocket, slow steps, not in any rush. On the other hand, Tohru and Zato…

"Stop making fun of my height, it's not like you're that tall!" Tohru spat in his face.

Zato put up an obnoxious look and turned his head away, his arms crossed and his weapons neatly tucked into their sheaths as he ambled behind Fuyu. "If Marines catch us in this town, you'll probably put up that humorous innocent act again."

Several bystanders suddenly put up suspicious looks, causing Fuyu to grab Zato and mutter, "Shut it or you'll attract attention."

"Look what you've done… talking this close is gonna attract even more," Zato responded. He spoke correctly – four men in black had posted themselves in a ring around the crew.

"Ya'll seem too guilty to be just some children having fun. Especially because I see a man carrying two swords in the middle of this jumble."

"And what's with the black cat? Trying to spread bad charms around this town?"

Mike put up a ferocious face, ready to pounce on the man who had just spoken, when Zato put his foot in the way. "Be a good boy and don't fight," Zato whispered before facing the men.

"Ahaha, sir, we're just tourists on our way for a shopping spree. And he's… our bodyguard. Rather grumpy fellow he is, eh Fuyu?"

Both Fuyu and Mike put up dirty looks – Tohru had revealed Fuyu's identity. "Nice going, brat," Fuyu hissed, getting a grip on his swords.

The tallest of the four men pointed down the road, and the other three nodded. They immediately began to walk in that direction. "I don't know what you're up to, but just know that in the end, justice is always served in this town."

As the last of their sudden enemies jostled away, Tohru put up a confused look. "What was that about?"

Zato looked around all of a sudden, sensing something. He returned to his normal state of consciousness and faced the group once more. "Tohru brought up a good point – we need to stock up on supplies here."

As the crew spread about the town, a figure swept through the dark aisles. Stopping beside a dumpster, he opened his palm and turned on the Den Den Mushi. "Captain, I have a marking on all three members – Zato Alba, Tohru Makino, and Fuyu Sashimi. The government has a secret facility here. Shall I continue with the plan?"

"Yes, Raiga. With the government as their enemies, there's no chance they'll escape. Send them towards this dark island!"

The Den Den Mushi shut off and Raiga continued moving, now towards the government office. Standing at the nearby corner, Mike watched in puzzlement. 'Enemies..? I'll warn Zato then first." As soon as Mike turned around, he realized that the group had split up. "That's if I can find Zato first…"

Tohru paced back and forth from shop to shop, trying to find the latest fashions at the cheapest prices. "Darn… not here either."

A mob suddenly crashed out of the local store, taking her down in the way, and darted towards a recently installed statue in the center of the plaza. Hundreds of fangirls screamed at the sight of the legendary pirate Oguri Shun… or at least his statue. "OH MY GOSH!" Tohru screamed, rushing to the side of the crowd.

Unknown to her distracted eyes, Raiga slowly crept by, coming closer and closer to the government building.

Mike darted from alley to alley, store to store, house to house, anywhere to anywhere, hoping he could find Zato.

Fuyu lay relaxed on the seashore, resting in a well-set hammock under the umbrage of two large and trees. "It feels great to be away from chaos."

Mike entered a string store and began to play with a ball of yarn on the floor. The owner quickly flung him out the window and locked the doors. 'I'd transform and beat that guy, but Zato said not to attract attention… ZATO!'

Tohru attempted to squish through the crowd, but she was only pushed back further. "Argh, you guys sure know how to piss me off."

Raiga finally entered the West Government's base. "I have some fine news for you, but it only comes for a small token."

Tohru made a final attempt at reaching the statue, but a second noise brought her back to pirate consciousness. The doors to the government building slammed open and Marines began to pour out. "I don't like the sight of this," Tohru muttered.

"Maybe if you hadn't been wasting your time all along, you'd have found out!" a voice roared hysterically. "Down there!" Raiga pointed from the roof. "That girl is one of Zato's crew members!"

The Marines stopped and formed a large circle around the crowd that encircled the statue. "What's going on?" citizens began crying. "Why are the Marines…?"

Tohru had finally managed to get into the crowd, and luckily she stuck herself in the center. 'I should be safe here…'

"Psst! Tohru, you'll definetly be safe being that small!" another voice whispered. Tohru nearly jumped at the sight of Mike right beneath her. She put up an angry look, ready to choke him for pointing out her size. "Wait! I heard someone named Raiga speaking on a Den Den Mushi! The same one as that man on the roof!"

Tohru looked up and gasped. "He's back??"

"He was speaking to someone superior to him, talking about how they'd report us to the government. With the government as our enemies, there's no way we'd survive!" Mike cried.

"Quick, Mike. Transform and we can get out of here!"

Raiga leapt down from his position, but before he could enter the crowd, Mike exploded upwards with rage in his massive form. A single roar caused the mob to scatter and even stunned most of the Marines. "Quick Tohru, go. I'll take care of these guys!"

"You aren't getting away anywhere!" Raiga shouted. "Shoot at them now!"

The Marines immediately took aim, filling both Tohru and Mike's eyes with terror… until: "Block Block Rotation!!"

Zato executed a spiral entrance into the fray and released a ray of energy, reversing each and every bullet before they could escape their guns. Right there in the hands of the Marines, the guns exploded.

"Must've given you a shock. Well, get moving towards the shore. There's a surprise waiting there!" Zato exclaimed. He faced Raiga with a serious look and attacked at once.

"Star Flurry!" Zato cried. He opened and closed his palms rapidly to release energy in short bursts, each appearing in star-like patterns. Raiga soared into the air for a swift dodge and came down only to be headbutted by a direct strike from Mike. "It'd be better for us all to go!"

Zato nodded and joined his comrades in their flee from Commence Town. "Alright guys, here's where our real journey begins. From this point, we are true pirates of the sea. But we couldn't be pirates without a ship!"

Tohru and Mike instantly knew their 'surprise' from the grin on Zato's face. "What did you do in this whole free time?!"

Before Zato could answer, a line of bullets flew over their heads. "Catch them!" Raiga roared. "We cannot live with evil pirates roaming freely!"

Zato spun and yelled, "Star Minefield!" Using a similar hand motion, he scattered clusters of energy across the entire street. "Sorry to you innocent citizens, but we're heading out! Forgive us for whatever trouble we've caused!!"

At last they arrived at the face of the vast blue sea. Yet it was something else that had grasped their attention immediately. Fuyu had even emerged from his hammock to take a look.

A beautiful ship had been anchored at the coast. "I simply pulled a few strings, begged, explained our story, and the ship was ours. It's surely a fine vessel. But there's no time to waste, board at once!"

The mast had already been decorated, depicting a skull hanging upon a large golden star. A five-pronged diamond filled the main section of the bow, and the lar and starboards both held extendable ladders for extra reach.

Raiga managed to arrive at the coast… only to see the Star Crew near the horizon. With Tohru taking hold of the wheel, it glided in a majestic manner through the grand sea!

"I must apologize, Captain," Raiga muttered. "Zato Alba is much more of a threat than I had imagined. And the Marines themselves are rather useless. I should've gone myself and stopped them."

"Do not worry, the plan has just begun. There's no way Zato will be able to match my power – I am the Lightning Thief, remember? I have journeyed to the gates of Hell and back. I will not simply be defeated by Zato."

"But there still remains a secondary threat, right? If the rumors are true, then Akaiso Works could possibly go against most of our plans!"

"Ignore Akaiso. There is something special about Mr. 2. Raiga, do you know of the legendary _Shikaku no Kazan_?"

"So he did survive. It's alright, things will be fine. Eliminate Akaiso and Zato, those are the only two of our tasks."

"By the way… we're going with the secondary plan. That way… I can get closer to Zato Alba."

**Raiga and his mysterious Captain continue plotting. But the Star Crew heads off for their great adventure!**

**Enjoy and review!**


	13. Chapter 13: Lightside Island

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

_Tohru's Diary_

_Day 5: Sailing on our new relaxing ship… I took the wheel. The fancy designs amaze me, and it's great how smoothly the ship sails. This is where my years of reading navigation books comes into handy. The ship includes a small kitchen and a dining table as one room, the female's room (for me up to this point), a large tower for viewing out into the sea, and a few sitting spots. The males sleep in the storage room, because there's a lot of space there ___

_The map pointed towards two different islands. The first's name was Lightside Island, and the other was Darkside Island. Obviously we picked Lightside… much more appealing by name._

_Zato relaxed this day. We made our way towards a pretty and lit up island. Not really that large, for we could see the full outline, and it would take a few hours to sail around fully…_

Chapter 13

Lightside Island

"I'll stay and keep an eye on the ship," said Fuyu. "You three go on and explore."

Zato, Tohru, and Mike climbed down to the sandy shore. Mike ran around in the beautiful sand, exclaiming, "I've never seen such bright sand!"

Tohru produced her small map at once. "Well this makes sense. From Commence Town we arrived at Lightside Island."

Zato spread his arms out and relaxed. "Man, the wind is nice as well. This seems like the ideal spot."

Mike sniffed for a sec and changed his mind, suddenly jumping behind Tohru. "I don't like what I'm sensing… there's blood nearby."

Zato lifted a handful of sand and inspected it carefully. He softly blew on it to filter the particles in his hand. The remaining sand had a peculiar red color to it. "Blood, you said?"

The next moment both Zato and Mike were on the ground burrowing through the sand. Tohru watched with rage and nearly beat them when something caught her eye…

Standing beside a nearby tree was a young child. In his hand was a spear. "Guys," she whispered. "There's a native staring at us."

He had no shirt on, only a short cloth wrapped going from his waist down. Fangs grew out of his mouth and extended over his bloody lips. His nails were the size of claws, and his body overall seemed unhealthy. "Nii-chan… nii-chan fego."

A line of blowdarts flew into the scene, at least half striking both Tohru and Zato. Mike, small enough to fit in the hole he dug, shrunk and hid out. 'So there's a native tribe here, a hostile tribe. And the blood is all on the beach, underneath this light sand. Surprisingly I understand it all – the sand is a mere trap to lure in sailors.

'The blood comes from the vast number of corpses and killed that are thrown into the ocean but washed back up on shore. I'll have to go explore further, and save Zato and Tohru.'

He finally realized why he said that – both of them had been taken off.

"Where is Zato? It's been nearly a day, yet no ship has anchored at this island. Are you sure you sent them this direction?"

Raiga groaned and responded, "I'm positive they sailed off to Darkside. The only other possible explanation would be that… they went to Lightside."

"Lightside, eh? Would they be smart enough to avoid the cannibals?"

Fuyu gazed out into the vast sea, each tumbling wave bringing him memories of the crew he once sailed with. "The way my life has gone. To think that I began my adventures in South Blue, sailing with the crew of four. And now I'm a feared criminal of West Blue, a man the government wants their hands on… sitting in the crew of goofballs. It's time I got serious with my abilities."

He brought out his two blades and chanted a mantra. Without turning back on his decision, Fuyu shot off the ship and bushwacked into the realm enclosed by the forest.

Approximately a mile from his location, the ropes choking Zato and Tohru snapped and the two dropped into a dark pit. "Ugh, my neck… and my back and hands," Tohru moaned. "Where are we…?"

Zato noticed their hands and feet were still bound to restrict their movement. The sides of the pit were simply mud-smacked walls, and the entire ground revealed to be a bloodbath. Within a moment bars flew over the upper opening and sealed their cage up. "Fego! Fego!" the same child roared, pointing to the two. "Fego nii-chan! Fego Alba!"

Hearing the final word gave Zato a shock – 'How do they know my name??'

Three massive figures, completely opposite of the boy's condition, stepped forth and flung the child into a separate. "No fego!"

A fourth male appeared sitting on a throne, hauled to the edge of the pit by a line of boars. He was an obese man, tattooed and scarred all over his face. An ugly thing he was, and he brought fear among the whole tribe that too gathered around the pit. "LIGHT KIRRA!"

Silence spread through the crowd. "LIGHT JABON SOYKIRU!" he shouted once more in the foreign language, clearly showing his status as the chief. "MANDATA AKA!" The chief twitched his fingers, and horrifically six young tribe members were forced upright. "Fego Fego… Mandata Aka!!"

Tohru screamed at the sight of their bodies suddenly ripping open. "Fego Fego! MANDATA SOYKIRU!" The tribe obeyed his orders and leapt upon the recently wounded, licking their blood and taking bites.

"We've been captured by cannibals. They have some sort of complex ritual," Zato whispered to Tohru. "To make it worse, we can't understand a thing they say…"

"But it's odd that I speak the same language as you two," a voice suddenly hissed, bringing terror into the eyes of both the captain and the navigator. They turned and saw the chief licking his lips and glaring directly at them. "What's wrong? Shocked that I can communicate with you?"

Zato released a stream of powerful thermal energy to disintegrate the ropes and shot himself upwards. "I'm not gonna let you eat us!! Zato Spiral Star!" A quick attack broke straight through his cage, stunning the possessed tribe around him…

Until things plummeted. His stomach suddenly erupted as if it had been sliced in two. The pain of a hole in his body existed with no physical damage. "Torture, isn't it? Come on, Alba, we haven't even gotten to introductions yet."

Tohru cursed when Zato flew back down to his original spot. "You were so close! What happened??"

"I'll tell you!" boasted the ugly chief. "He simply came into my direct attack. Thanks to my devil fruit, he can't see a thing that hits him!"

"Neither can you," Fuyu whispered, appearing directly behind him. "_Nitoryu: Devil's Fork_!" The swordsman flickered to a position ahead of the chief. A second later, blood seeped out of the victim's back in the form of an X-shaped wound.

The chief suddenly began a wicked laughter. "Pathetic. You must be a companion of Alba. Your crew clearly has no common manners. You talk first, then fight! But _if_ you insist on clashing first, I'd be happy to split you apart."

"Try me," Fuyu muttered, flickering once more. This time, he sliced the chief's arm off, though sending no direct pain to his opponent.

"I am Chief Soykiru of the Light Kirra tribe. We live as cannibals, catching hold of foolish pirates who come here seeking peace and harmony."

"_Nitoryu: Shark Blade_!" Fuyu hissed. This time, the throne and boars supporting his weight cracked and collapsed, leaving Soykiru to fall belly-first into the ground. "There you went again, ruining introductions."

"I need no introductions. I'm bloodthirsty, that's all. Now I'll show you how useless fat lards like you truly are."

Tohru shrieked when she too suffered the same fate as Zato. She fell to her knees sobbing and screaming at the pain. "Let's see you fight back now, swordsman," Soykiru chuckled. "I've got your companion dying down there. Make one move and she's done for."

Fuyu grinned. "Go ahead, kill her. It means nothing to me. By killing that bratty coward, you'll simply remove another obstacle from my path."

Tohru felt the pain suddenly stop. "Fu… yu…?" she cried. "Fuyu… you can't be serious."

"Even if you do kill her you'll die immediately after," Fuyu muttered. "In the end your death awaits."

"Hehe, her death means nothing, eh? Then how 'bout this one – Alba!"

Unexpectingly thwarting Fuyu's expectation, Soykiru flipped over and thurst his arms forward. Fuyu felt pain uncomparable to what Tohru and Zato received. He immediately collapsed in a blood bath. "In case you haven't realized, my devil fruit power makes me nearly invincible. I can release short threads that, once attaching to your bodies, immediately cause them to fail. It's a simple energy transmission, and once it violently explodes within you, you'll feel as though you're imploding. Fego Fego no Mi! In case you haven't realized, Fego is our tribe's way of expressing _death_!"

"Fego! FEGO! FEGO!" they all suddenly began chanting. "Look, they're hungry for your bodies. Go ahead, eat them alive this time! No pirates have ever succeeded in surviving. There's none who've come here and left to tell the tale. We kill them _all_!"

Fuyu kicked the first two zombie-like 'creatures' that came for him, but he could no longer endure any more of the pain. Movement facilitated the effects, beating him down with every inch he took. "You stupid lard! There's no way you could've taken two major wounds and a heavy fall and still be standing perfectly! What's wrong with you?!"

Soykiru suddenly appeared over him with his ugly smile. "A 'lard' like me has no feeling in some of my vital organs. You can hack away at my arms and legs. Go ahead, cut off my belly. Nothing will happen. All I need is a head to kill. In this case, you'll have to take on my whole body! By the way, I weigh a little over a ton."

"No way!" Fuyu cried, but there was nothing he could do to stop the chief from falling right on him.

In the nick of time, something appeared to hold Soykiru back. "What is this?"

Mike pushed upwards with all his might and thrust the chief back onto a clump of the natives. "I don't know what you are, but there's no way you'll kill any of them!"

Fuyu attempted to stand up but was kept down by Mike. "Leave this to me. You're in no condition to be fighting with that great a battle wound."

Mike assumed his largest form and pounced upon Soykiru. He ripped layers and layers of flesh off and even went as far as biting the chief's neck. "Fool. I don't need any of those to kill you."

Before Soykiru could release the threads, Mike collided both of their heads, instantaneously putting his opponent in a daze. "You said all you need is your head. Let's see you do without it!"

Suddenly, Mike collapsed. Fuyu noted a line of blowdarts on his back and cursed. "Shit! The natives too are fighting!"

"Block Block Fireball!" Zato roared, smashing through whoever he could at a rapid speed. "Die! Zato Missile!"

Soykiru made a second attempt… his head separated from the rest of his body before he could do so.

Mike and Zato stood out on deck as the ship glided through the evening sea. "Are they okay?" the captain murmured.

"They should be fine. Took a while to get Fuyu patched up. But Tohru's seeming upset about something…" Mike said.

"I'm sure she'll resolve it however she can. And as for you… you are now the official doctor of this crew."  
"Ehhhhhh??" Mike shouted.

Inside the cabin, Fuyu and Tohru rested from their battle wounds. "Fuyu, am I really so useless that I'd be thrown away like that?"

"Hm?"

Tohru sighed. "Today. My existence… my death meant nothing. How could you say that? I… I didn't think I was… so pathetic…"

"Shutup," he suddenly said, shocking her. "Think about it. Saying what I said was the only reason why you're still alive."

**The crew sails away, being the first to have survived the Light Kirra's trap.**

**Enjoy and review!**

**Here is a list of all those defeated so far:**

**Regaru Adderbones**

**Army of Marines at Rogueport**

**Raiga's Gang**

**Marine Squad at Commence Town**

**Light Kirra Tribe and Chief 'Fego' Soykiru**


	14. Chapter 14: Darkside Island

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

_Tohru's Diary_

_Day 6: To our dismay Lightside Island was… not very appealing. On the contrary, there's always this gloomy-sounding Darkside Island. Anyways, today we took a short stop at a sea port, where Zato got lost in the lines to board a cruise ship. One of the passengers– a girl and musician going by the name Olvia – was given the chance to join our crew! But she gave Zato an awkward look and walked off. Surprising._

_On our way to Darkside Island! As we dropped anchor into a small ship storagehouse, we entered the island… that welcomes pirates!_

"Master…!"

"Silent! Don't say my name! You'll spoil it for the readers!" the dark figure hissed.

"o.O… er… huh? Anyways, I was going to tell you that Zato's crew landed on the island recently!"

"Oh. Very well, I shall make preparations."

Chapter 14

Darkside Island

"Surprising how nice this place is in comparison to the last island!" Tohru exclaimed, skipping ahead of the group. "And they even like pirates. Do you think we'd be able to split up?"

Fuyu put up a sharp look and shook his head. "Despite the mood here, I'm getting a bad feeling. I think we should just stay together."

"We _could_ stock up for real here. See! Some stores even give discounts for pirates!" Tohru grinned at the idea of loads of her own wantings.

"This reminds me," Mike said. "I remember when hearing into that Raiga person's conversation.. he talked about something of sending the crew towards the 'dark island'. Perhaps this is it?"

"Which is yet another reason why we should stay alert," said Zato. "Just act normal, and be ready for action whenever that happens."

Unknown to the group, four hooded figures entered the street from four different alleys, eaching forming a large rectangle around the crew. Hanging as false earings, attached Den Den Mushi enabled communication between one another. "We have assembled. Now we should form the barrier and crush Zato's crew."

"All we have to do is focus our blasters. There aren't any barriers. Shoot the three of them, and take their heads to Master."

"Alright. Firing in three…"  
"Two…"

"One…"

The four aimed their guns at each of the crew members. Directly before they shot…

"Halt right there, Zato Alba, captain of the Star Pirates!" a deep voice boomed and reverberated. Zato, Fuyu, Tohru, and Mike tilted their heads upwards to see a massive figure standing upon the tower. "I am Evian Jacques!"

All of the four hooded figures collapsed… their plan had been ruined.

"Evian… Jacques?" Tohru whispered to Mike.

"And it's not just you! Fuyu Sashimi… and little girl!"

Tohru exploded with anger and shouted, "IS THAT ALL YOU TAKE FROM MY APPEARANCE? LITTLE? AND HOW COME YOU DON'T KNOW MY NAME??"

Evian leaned forward and whispered, "I'm sorry, but you aren't important at the moment. If you want, I could hold you hostage and force Zato to kill himself."

"Seriously, what's with all the people wanting to kill you, Zato?" Fuyu muttered.

Tohru steamed and faced Zato. "Captain, it's clear that he's after your head like the number of people we've met before. I beg of you to let this guy be my opponent!"

Zato and Fuyu stared at her for a second and suddenly started bursting out laughing. Mike sighed, thinking, 'Obviously I'm not even noticed in this scene.'

Tohru flipped her two rods out from her sleeves and attached them into a single weapon. "Get down here and fight me!"

Evian grinned and leapt down to Tohru's side. "It looks as though your experienced for these such situations. Let's just see…"

_Smack!_ Evian fell backwards with a red mark bloating on his face.

"Rule of combat number one," Tohru began. "You don't talk when you're right by your opponent."

Evian stood up and made a quick attempt to hide his blushing and embarrassed face. "So you know some 'rules of combat'? That must mean you're skilled at fighting."

Tohru sighed and jabbed her rod forward, striking him in the stomach this time. "Rule two. If your opponent has a long weapon, you might wanna try moving back a bit."

Fuyu leaned to Zato and whispered, "This guy must be some motley if he's losing to Tohru."

Evian cursed Tohru for her 'luck' and actually attacked this time. She stepped to her side and laughed at his poor coordination.

She stopped laughing when his punch formed a crack in the ground. "So you _can_ do something!" she cried. Evian pushed himself off the ground and went for Tohru again.

"Zato!" Mike whined. "This guy isn't some pushover, he could seriously hurt Tohru. Shouldn't we intervene?"

Zato ignored the panther until Mike grew to massive proportions, stunning all the bystanders. "Mike… seriously transform back. Yes I'll go intervene… just don't hurt me!"

"Hey Evian Jacques!" Zato shouted. "How 'bout you trying fighting someone like me! Drop Block Star!"

Evian turned too late, as he was slammed back into the wall of a store. He furiously emerged from the debris he created and charged at Zato.

Fuyu flashed behind and beat him down with the butt of one sword. "Rather simple to take out."

Tohru sighed and suddenly screamed, "HE WAS MY OPPONENT!"

Mike stepped up and grabbed hold of Evian. He swung the male around twice and then hurled him off into the distant section of the island.

The sun had set before they knew it. "Man, that day went quick," Tohru sighed.

The ship was completely loaded up with gear they bought at the island. Zato sat upon the head of the ship while Mike and Tohru let the ship float off to the sea. "The next stop is the threshold of our journey!" Tohru exclaimed. "The glorious Gate to Kisho!"

Fuyu grinned, never thinking the journey would take him this far. "So we've sailed all the way through Southwest Blue already."

"And the next part of our journey is Kisho Sea!" Zato shouted. "So let's go! Just three more seas left till we reach the Grand Kingdom!"

The ship set sail towards the first pitstop of the voyage!

A dim light lit the dark realm. "Hyuck… those darn meddling pirates. So I underestimated them," the Master whispered into the Den Den Mushi.

"They defeated you too? Did you even open up your abilities?" Raiga shouted.

"No, I remained a clumsy idiot throughout. But not to worry, it was an open battle. I couldn't reveal myself there. I'll take care of them tonight, while they are resting," the master chuckled.

One of his servants came up with a report. "Er, sir… the Star crew has already left the island…"

**Awkward man appears, but it's not his last appearance. This Evian Jacques plays a key role, and we shall see.**

**Meanwhile, the crew heads towards a place they have no idea of. Is this their true destination?  
Next Time – Mistrap! The Wild Chef to the Rescue!**


	15. Chapter 15: Mistrap! Evian's Return!

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

_Tohru's Diary_

_Day 7: So close! Yet so far! We sail from Darkside Island to the mysterious Gate of Kisho! Few have dared to venture here, for there are numerous myths of disappearing ships. They give us a scare, but with Fuyu, Zato, Mike, and especially me (from now on I shan't be such a clutz and useless member!), the Star Crew is not going to be pushed back at all._

_To our dismay, we floated into a heavy mist, so thick that it was like an extremely moist fog. But if the special map is correct… we should be sailing straight into… the Gate of Kisho, which exists as a massive tunnel through a series of mountains centered in this portion of West Blue… I'm iffy._

"Hehe," Evian muttered in his rowboat. The sea was rough, but he claimed he could take it. Waving goodbye to his old comrades on Darkside Island, he set out for his prize. "Those pirates think they could get rid of me so easily. I'll show them just how strong Evian Jacques is!"

A second later a massive wave crashed over his boat and dropped him below the surface level.

Chapter 15

Mistrap! The Wild Chef to the Rescue

The soft whoosh of the ship and the tumbling of the waves were all to be heard. Zato insisted on going outside to make sure they remained on track; Tohru, on the other hand, considered staying inside together a better idea.

"The Gate of Kisho," Mike whispered as he stared at the large rolled-out map. "Sure is something. I never would've thought a region like this to be geographically possible.. and I'm the one who's traveled all the way through!"

Fuyu inspected the portions of the incomplete map. "So your goal is to complete this map, huh?" Only the bottom left corner – the Listwind Sea – was completely done.

"Mhm," Tohru replied. "By the way, Zato, I do recall reading of this 'Grand Kingdom' that you seek out."

The three males positioned themselves – Mike sitting on the floor, Zato in a chair by the table looking at the map, and Fuyu at the side looking out the window – so they could listen to Tohru. "From the day I learned to read, I'd find my days in the library reading. A particular interest was the section on Mythology. As expected, the Grand Kingdom was found in that section… yeah, a whole book on it!

"According to the legend, way back in the Void Century, a paradise haven sat at the northern tip of West Range Blue – the ocean making up the center of this hemisphere. An ancient merfolk tribe known as the Poseidis lived there. They worshipped the lord of the oceans – Poseidon, and they lived in peace.

"They were the founders of beautiful arts and crafts, incredible cities and government systems, everything you could think of that put them one step ahead of others. But they were extremely protective of their wealth! They possessed magic that allowed them to seal their haven within a bubble.

"Unfortunately, a curious merman managed to sneak in with a small group of merfolk and find the blueprints to all of the island's architecture as well as crafts. The Poseidis learned quickly of his presence and worked hard to ensure that he was eliminated before he escaped. They failed, meaning that the world would have their hands upon valuable blueprints.

"The merman, Hunter D. Roth, immediately set sail for the Grand Line. His journey took seven total years to travel to Raftel, the final island in the Grand Line. Roth's plans were to create his own haven that transcended the might of the Poseidis."

A loud crash suddenly interrupted her tale, and everyone flew into the right wall. Zato gained balance quickly in the tilting ship and slammed the door open. "What the…!" he shouted.

The ship had collided straight into a massive rockwall and started to rise up along the barrier. Following this, it continued falling backwards. "Oh crud!" Zato yelped before soaring back into the room.

Mike grasped Tohru and flung her out the door which now seemed as a ceiling escape (for the ship now coasted along the rock wall vertically). "Use your navigation skills!!" Fuyu shouted.

As Tohru flew into the air, she screamed, "THESE SITUATIONS AREN'T MY AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY! AAAH!!" She managed to catch hold of the mast pole and climbed upwards through the ship.

At the bottom end of the ship, a rope caught on to the end and the treacherous Evian Jacques pulled his way up until they had completely gotten on. "Haha, it's obvious that the Star Crew was no match for Mistrap!"

A sudden gust blew him straight off the ship and right into the water. Fuyu balanced himself on a thin ledge, spinning his two swords at a rapid rate. "Stupid, the wind is going the other way!" Mike shouted. Fuyu realized and changed the direction of the wind currents. He sent them forcefully to push the ship back from the rockwall.

Zato exited the room a second time and shot himself up past Tohru, startling her and causing her to fall back. She lost her grip and dropped from her height, plummeting straight down to the now-roaring sea! "This damn mist!" she cried.

Mike gasped and nearly dived to rescue her when Fuyu grabbed his tail. "Idiot! She can swim and you can't! Go down there and you'll make things worse!"

Tohru quickly produced her weapons and attempted to fall closer to the ship. "Here goes nothing!" she shrieked before smashing the rods into the side of the vessel, hoping they would slow down her fall. They did, and allowed her to hang from the position…

Then a squeaky noise came, and she could see the rods starting to bend. Mike moved then, becoming his normal panther form and dashing down to reach the same level as her.

VISUAL

TOP/FRONT OF SHIP

…

X – Zato

…

…

…

…

F – Fuyu

…

…

M – Mike (running down)

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

T – Tohru (hanging and about to fall) BASE/BACK OF SHIP

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

WATER

(each .. represents six or seven yards)

Mike was too late… Tohru lost her grip again and fell from the end of the ship.

Out of nowhere, Evian zipped through and caught her. He pushed forward and managed to catch hold of the rock wall and ran directly upwards. "It is clear that the Star Crew is lacking an essential member."

Zato turned to see Evian and put up a worried look. "That guy again?? Block Block Missile!"

Evian saw Zato approaching and kicked off the rockwall, landing perfectly on the ship. "Hold it right there, Zato Alba. I'm not here to fight, and I showed that by rescuing this child."

Zato, unfortunately, couldn't hold on, and continued soaring down to the sea. "Damn!" he cried. Fortunately, he reversed the direction by exploding his body, sending him back upwards.

Evian grinned as he suddenly whipped a series of ropes out to each side, catching hold of the rockwall. "You drifted off your main course. Heading to the legendary Gate of Kisho, eh? Well, you got stuck here in Mistrap!"

"Mistrap?" Fuyu muttered. "Alright then, tell us what brought you here."

Smirking, Evian roared, "Of course I'd join this pathetic crew. Seeking out the end of West Range Blue is quite something."

_Smack_! Tohru slammed the back of his head with her rod, furious by the fact that he returned. "I don't care who you are or why you saved me. Or even the fact that you saved me. And you just said, you'd join this pathetic crew. I'll show you what's pathetic once I'm throw with you!"

Tohru brought her rod down a second time, but it failed to inflict damage when a coat of electricity formed around Evian. Fuyu dived to the rescue, slicing her rod in half before the static could reach Tohru. "You have some strange powers," Mike commented, keeping his distance. "Perhaps a devil fruit?"

Evian roared with laughter while getting up. "A devil fruit?? Wahahaa, you foolish pirates know nothing. A person like me would never need the power of a pathetic devil fruit. But on to business – it's time I revealed the reason I came all the way out here! First things first – destroy the rockwall that your ship hangs upon!" He produced a yellow orb and hurled it straight at the rockwall.

An incredible flash occurred, blindening all those in the scene. Then there was a loud cracking sound, like thunder right in front of them! And then… Zato, as he climbed up the side of the ship, could feel the pain of solid rock falling on him. Following the midair avalanche, wind blew directly upwards, causing Zato to lose his grip and soar. "What the hell!!" he shouted before disappearing into the sky.

A wild splash occurred as the ship made a rough landing in the ocean. Tohru opened her eyes and looked up – the rockwall had been mostly destroyed, and now the ship had come down from the height.

Followed by Zato, who had to be caught by Mike to avoid a quick death. Evian grinned and faced the crew. "Zato Alba and Fuyu Sashimi. Think where you'd be without my recent presence. This girl would've died, and you would've been stuck spending the last few moments of your life falling to death in Mistrap. The mist should've been a clear warning itself.

"Which shows you a simple thing – you can have a navigator. You can have a swordsman. You can have a tough and strong crew. But you'll get nowhere if you have not a member who knows the ocean well. I have sailed close to the end, literally, leading a now-hopeless crew from Darkside all the way to the last of West Range Blue's five seas!"

Zato gave Evian a glare, and muttered, "What do you want? What do you expect to get out of joining this crew?"

Evian chuckled in his awkward way and responded, "Well, Master Alba, I expect to be a pirate. One of your _nakama_. It sure is difficult for you to make the decision, isn't it? Oh, and I have a little something I left behind when I left the last island. Something so critical, I surely wouldn't be satisfied without it.

"My journey brought me there, to the final island. I knew that the Grand Kingdom indeed existed. But I just didn't know exactly where. That's when I was massacred, by a chap going by the name Warren…"

Mike immediately dived at Evian, but was held back by the electric barrier. "What's wrong, did I say something that hurt your feelings?"

"Your cocky attitude's gonna make you suffer. You may seem all tough, but you're really nothing!" Mike roared. "I'm warning you, join this crew and you may not leave alive!"

Evian sighed a relief when Mike returned to his small form and continued. "Warren… he was a strong fellow indeed. A man lost at sea, but he felt as though I was an evil being. With his mystic powers, he destroyed most of my crew… and left me to sail back with nothing. That was the first and last time I'd ever seen him. Dangerous he was, and I hope the two of us never cross paths again!"

Mike nearly choked Evian, wanting over a million questions answered, but Evian only said that Warren appeared out of nowhere, seeming in perfect condition, and claiming to have escaped from the government, giving him relief. 'Captain… you're alive… you're alright,' Mike thought to himself.

"Well anyways, shouldn't we be going off to the true destination, Miss Navigator?" asked Evian.

Tohru and Zato both responded, "When did you officially become a crew member?"

Evian grinned once more, and then laughed, "Wahahahaaa! There's no doubt of it. You'll need my help, don't worry. And if my cocky attitude's bugging you… then how 'bout we get along well from now on?"

He flung himself into the kitchen and immediately grabbed an assortment of fruits, enraging all four true crew members at once.

Within an hour, despite arguments, a nice and healthy meal was laid out for each of them. "Enjoy," Evian muttered before slipping into the sleeping quarters.


	16. Chapter 16: Smoke Island

**The Gate to Kisho**

_Tohru's Diary_

_Day 7 continued: As Evian snoozed at midday (which didn't seem so in the mist, but we were quick to get out), Zato decided to make him a member of the crew, saying it would be to their advantage if they did so._

_Yet still, while Evian roamed about awake, the two of them didn't come on good terms…_

_Zato also agreed that we had seriously gone off course. Now we were to make another stop before reaching the Gate of Kisho – a gloomy island known as Smoke Island._

Chapter 16

Smoke Island?

"A sword master?" said Fuyu.

Evian nodded. "Yeah, there's an old man who gives swords to the best of warriors… and he accepts challenges."

"Old man? Then I won't shatter what dignity he has left," Fuyu replied. _Clank_! Fuyu's reflexes (and instinct) allowed him to bring his right sword up to block Tohru's rod, without him even moving any other muscle. "You really have a tendency of hitting people."

Zato climbed down from the viewing post and sat beside Mike. "He said he's met Captain Warren, didn't he?"

Mike sighed, yawned, and nodded at the same time, giving him an awkward expression on his face. "Yeah… but I'd rather not think about it now. Shouldn't we get off the ship now and go look around this island?"

Zato did the same as Mike before getting up and pointed to Smoke Town's entrance. "Who'll keep watch on the ship?"

Evian immediately volunteered but was given a glare by Zato, Fuyu, and Mike. "Geez, I'm just tryin' to help. Gosh.. you're make me feel bad!" Mike interrupted him quickly. "I'll stay back and keep watch. Ya'll go on."

\/\/-\/\/

Tohru and Zato decided to head down the west road of the town, knowing that neither of them would be able to travel with Evian without the result of blood.

Fuyu and Evian took the east road – an awkward combination. "Waha, Fuyu you're such a cool guy!"

"Shut your trap or I'll skin you alive," Fuyu muttered. "I'm not really in the mood for talking. I'm just here to find this sword master. So lead the way!"

"Wahaahaa!" Evian roared. "You need to be more relaxed. And besides, if you killed me…"

"I wouldn't have to live with your annoying voice in my head," Fuyu responded.

Evian sighed. "Wow, thanks. Way to make me feel like shit."

Meanwhile, Mike lay curled up in a small furball, exhausted from the events at Mistrap. "Captain… where are you?" he whispered. "Hopefully we'll cross paths. You must… meet Zato Alba."

"Do not worry, Mike. I am with you… spiritually!" Warren's voice replied, reverberating through his head.

Mike immediately jumped up and looked around. "I can swear… I heard his voice…!"

Tohru paced between the two different malls, wondering which was the better deal. "Better for higher price… not as sweet but cheap! What should I do? Probably the cheaper… but the expensives are just gorgeous!"

Zato rolled his eyes and walked off, but he was knocked down by a hurrying kid. "Hey! Watch it!" That was when he realized why the rush…

Two large men, both dressed in black suits, came charging by with suitcases in their hands. "Get back here, runt!"

"Help!" the kid yelped.

"Anyone who assists this child will be arrested. We serve the World Government!" the larger of the two roared. "The Blackbelt Twins, hailing from South Blue's Karate Island! I am…"

"Shutup and catch the twerp!" his younger twin (by only a few seconds) screeched, and they continued dashing off.

Zato wiped the dust off his shorts and glew red with anger. "Block Block Blast!" An explosion occurred and sent Zato soaring straight into the back of the younger twin, knocking him over. "So much for arresting me, you fool."

"Moko!" the elder shouted. "Who are you?" he roared, facing Zato now. "Well, that doesn't matter. I am Blackbelt Yoko! Feel the wrath of my Karate…"

_Thwack!_ Zato slid and did an uppercut kick move. Yoko came down from the air and landed right on his head. "Geez, are you serious about being with the government?"

The child now sat huddled up beside a tree, sobbing, "Keep them away! Keep them away!"

Tohru, who had retreated from her "mall dilemma", sat down beside him. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Those two… Woko and Koko, those freaky karate freaks.. they're a lying and cunning duo!"

'Er… am I supposed to know what you're talking about?' Tohru thought. "Don't worry. If there's some people bugging you, my crew'll take care of them easily."

The next moment she was running from a mob roaring, "PIRATES! CATCH THEM BEFORE THEY KILL US ALL!"

Moko and Yoko got up and scowled. "Damn those runts! Both got away… now we're gonna be stumped!"

_Pow! Pow Pow!_ Both collapsed all of a sudden from bullets. Standing behind them was a legendary figure… to be feared. "You cowards stand no chance against pirates. That's why you don't deserve to stay as the World Government's underlings. You're just a disgrace. So here ends the tale of the heroic Blackbelt Twins… oh wait, they never even had a tale." The brutal and ferocious Vice-Admiral Agora, son of Admiral Akainu, growled with saliva dripping from his large teeth.

"It's ironic how Smoker came from a relatively peaceful town here. What inspired him to become the commodore he is… who knows?"

Zato held his position behind a boulder and watched as Agora walked into the center of town. "Three from the World Government at this island? And that one seems stronger and meaner than the ones we've met up to this point. Plus… what did they want with that kid?"

"Excuse me," the child whispered into his air, startling Zato. "Wait! Please! I want to thank you for saving me!"

Zato nodded and asked, "What did they want with you?"

"I overheard their conversation, saying something about a Star Crew nearby. It didn't seem like bad information! I mean, they wanted to catch pirates! They're good!"

Zato sighed and patted the boy on his shoulder. "What's your name?"

"Milo. By the way, there was this girl who's a pirate! The mob chased her! How 'bout we go help catch her?"

Zato's eyes bulged and he immediately darted in the direction Agora went. "Tohru!"

\/\/-\/\/

"Hello dear. You don't happen to be a member of the Star Pirate Crew, do you?" Agora whispered. Tohru was cornered in an alley.. but surprisingly this man found her before the mob did. She gulped and scooted back to the fence. 'Crud… I'll cornered. I could climb this fence….'

"Running won't work, missy. If you haven't realized, I'm a man going by the name Agora."

Tohru's eyes bulged and she felt weak. Standing before her was a tough figure, large teeth, pierced ears, large body, red coat. "Agora.. the Vice-Admiral? What are you… doing here?"

"It's good that you know me. Now, speak up before you face the gates of Hell! Where is Zato…"

"I'm not a pirate!" she cried. Agora pulled out his gun and began to reload it, giving Tohru a shock. "Go ahead then! Kill me! You won't get anything out of me though!"

"Alright then," Agora muttered. He fired.

Fuyu and Evian immediately stopped at the sound of gunfire. "What the hell!" Fuyu shouted.

"It's coming from the road the other two went on!"

Agora sighed and walked off. "People these days. They should value their lives. Rather than giving them up in that simple manner. Oh whatever, catching Alba won't be very difficult."

"And you honestly think that shot did it?" a masculine voice replied from Tohru's location. Agora chuckled and spun around.

"Zato Alba. I should've known you'd jump into the scene immediately. Well then, I guess I'll get an easy bounty here. Ever since I heard from those at Rogueport about your Devil Fruit Powers, I took a particular interest in your profile."

Zato had taken the shot directly, but he was perfectly fine. In a flash Fuyu and Evian both landed to his sides, each arming themselves with their swords and lightning staff respectively. "Alright, Star Crew. This aught to show ya'll my proficiency with electricity!" Evian hissed.

Fuyu recognized the enemy at once and took a step back. "Red Snake Agora, if I'm not mistaken. Zato, do you know…"

"Yes," the captain said, cutting him off. "Unfortunately this town isn't fond of pirates, and he happened to be amongst the crowd that chased Tohru here."

Tohru, finally reviving from the shock, pushed herself off the ground and joined her friends as they formed a line against Agora. Suddenly, the admiral fired another bullet, scattering the crew as they jumped to all different directions.

Fuyu kicked off the side alley wall and flipped over Agora, landing behind him. He immediately swung his blades around and went for his opponent. _Clank_! Surprisingly, he was countered by a staff similar to Evian's, only Agora's was bloody red and had a flaming network of textures and patterns. "Fuyu Sashimi, you'll be the first to perish!"

Without warning, a burst of flames exploded in front of Fuyu. Agora spun his staff around and knocked out a large blade from the end. With it, he smashed both of Fuyu's weapons out of his hands and moved for the kill…

"_Lightning Ball_!" Evian shouted, which was enough of a warning for Agora to get out of the way. From Evian's staff, a sphere of electricity zipped down and hit the ground, sparking another explosion. Agora began to dash up the wall, so Evian followed and did the same with his mystic ability. He swung his staff again and again, sending a series of lightning balls straight at Agora.

The admiral stopped right there, turned around (holding his balance while standing on a vertical slope), and batted each static sphere back at Evian. "Damn!" he shouted before falling victim to Agora's skill.

"Block Block Burst!" Zato cried, and he managed to nail Agora. Tohru put her two rods together and swung them right at the vice-admiral's head. Before the blow was successful, Agora himself incinerated and reappeared back where Fuyu stood.

"Don't think I was through with you," he muttered. Agora brought the staff down, but missed as Fuyu rolled to the side and snatched one of his swords.

"Zato! We made a mistake in fighting this guy!" Fuyu shouted while holding Agora back in a short duel. Evian himself was stuck unable to move; Tohru and Zato raced down to help their crewmates.

Fuyu swung left and right, unable to make a clean hit, and eventually attempted to slide across the ground to get his second sword. 'Damn! There's no way we could fight this guy!' he thought. 'We need to get out of here…!'

Zato came from behind and yelled, "Block Star Spin!" Agora prepared for the blow and quickly caught Fuyu by the hands. Zato realized too late that Fuyu was being held as a shield, and unfortunately collided into his comrade. The two continued soaring back out of the alley.

A few citizens noticed and shrieked when Agora suddenly flickered beside them, his staff ready. "Wait… isn't that Fuyu Sashimi?" one man cried.

"Zato Alba too!"

"No wonder Vice-Admiral Agora is here!"

"Stay away! Agora's the type that spares none!"

"He may even kill us!"

Zato cursed… it was over for him. Agora brought the staff down.

Then, he blanked out.

\/\/-\/\/

"Vice-Admiral Agora!" a voice yelped. "That man was Agora?"

"Yeah… I hope they'll be alright. Are you sure your 'medicine' worked?"

"I'm sure. They weren't too bad. Evian and Fuyu suffered the most. Evian seemed in pain all over, while Fuyu had some second-degree burns. We really have to be careful."

Zato finally opened his eyes, realizing where he was. "Tohru… Mike?" He could hear the sound of the ocean. "We set sail? But what about… Smoke Island?"

Mike walked up to him and insisted that he continued resting. "Well, you were the only one that was knocked out. Fuyu suffered, but he was conscious so that helped. Tohru helped Evian get away. Agora slammed you in the head with his staff, but I arrived before he could seriously finish you off. He was… 'intrigued' by my transforming powers. Luckily, I carried you and Fuyu back here. We got the ship moving immediately – one marine ship tailed us for a bit."

Zato's eyes bulged. "That much happened?"

"Yup," Tohru sighed. "Evian had to use up his last Lightning Sphere, and luckily it damaged their ship so badly, chasing us wasn't in their agenda anymore."

Zato shut his eyes, going back to rest. 'Nakama. We are a close crew. But it isn't enough. What happened at Smoke Island shows me that we aren't strong enough as a crew.'

And so, the ship sailed from a rough day, heading north to whatever obstacle that faced them next. The crew, battered down from their fighting that day, rested, and they experienced a full moonlit night on the way to the final portion of Lightblue Sea – the Gate of Kisho!"

**A rough battle leaves Zato weakened and crushed. Knowing that the pirate world is filled with more than just simple enemies, such as the former gang and the Light Kirra Tribe, they move with the goal of gaining strength – physically and spiritually.**

**Next Time! – Last Step!**


	17. Chapter 17: The Last Step

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

_Tohru's Diary_

_Day 8: Still with the events of yesterday bugging us, __Shooting Star__ sailed straight for our amazing destination. It appeared so fine before us! The Gate of Kisho!!_

Chapter 17

Last Step!

All five crew members had gathered at the bow and gazed at the remarkable landmark. The mountain range isolating Lightblue Sea and Kisho Sea suddenly dipped into a curving and bumpy feature with a massive hole at its base. "That's clearly the tunnel!" Tohru exclaimed while she pointed at the entrance. "We sail through there, and we'll go right beneath the mountains and pop out at the other side in the Kisho Sea!"

Fuyu seemed very impressed and commented, "I never knew something like this could be geographically possible. Mountain ranges do this through all of West Range Blue, right?"

"Which is how it got the name West Range Blue itself," said Zato. "Alright, let's go, full speed towards the Gate to Kisho!"

Mike took command of the ship, and the crew pushed its way towards their primary destination.

\/\/-\/\/

"The Makino Cruise is reaching the peak of our adventure!..." the announcer on the cruise ship exclaimed into the speaker.

There was nothing to follow him. "We are currently approaching the legendary landmark known as the Gate of Kisho! Whether it exists or not… we're not really sure!" His voice dropped and seemed to be whispering to someone else. Unfortunately, the speaker was still on.

"Shouldn't Olvia be playing the _Climax Trance_? Where is she?? She's supposed to be leading my grand speech!"

Inside the tech room, three crew members huddled in worry. "She's not here! I just went down and checked!"

"Olvia disappearing? The captain will crush us!"

"She couldn't have just disappeared!"

"Master Makino prized her as his best musician!"

"She's one of the main reasons why people board this ship!!"

People on vacation, sitting in the lounge, restaurant, or even by the swimming pool, all heard this.

Disaster followed.

\/\/-\/\/

A small raft bumped into the stern of Shooting Star, and it toppled over. The figure resting upon it let out a squirm and managed to catch hold of a protruding plank. "Oh no!" she wailed to herself. "If I fall into the water then I'll die!"

"Stowaway, is it?" a voice from above muttered. The young lady squealed at the sight of Fuyu and Tohru staring down at her.

"No! No no no no!!"

Tohru grinned and had her pulled up immediately. "I recognize your face. You're that musician on my father's ship."

Olvia's eyes bulged upon remembering Tohru's face. "Y… you! You're exactly who I've been looking for!"

Giving another smile, Tohru responded, "I know I'm all that…"

"No! Where's that captain!! Zuto!"

Short catfight. Resolution. Fuyu sighed and pointed at the bow of the ship.

The crew members gathered once more, all facing the great tunnel before them. "You arrived just in time, musician," Zato whispered, still looking north.

"My name's Olvia," she sighed.

"My name's Zato," he responded sarcastically. "And you've come to join our crew, of course."

"Of course!" Olvia said excitedly. "So who's in charge of the money here? Ya'll are rich, so let's go shopping a lot at the next island."

"We're out of money," said Evian.

"And we could use the money to… wait WHAT?!"

Zato continued looking forward. "Yeah, we lost everything at the last island."

Olvia crumbled to her feet and sobbed. "I thought you were rich!! That was my only motivation!"

"Miss Musician, what do you play?" Zato asked.

Before she could object, Fuyu laid out his weapons on the deck and inspected them carefully, as if his action was done for a specific purpose. "Nice threat," she muttered.

"Hm?" Fuyu replied.

Olvia raised her arm and produced a small puffy cloud in front of her body. "Here is my ability," she said in a dull voice. "Happy? Now I'll just get my instrument."

The cloud materialized into the shape of a violin, and Olvia flicked a bow out of her pocket. She pulled the protruding end and extended it to full length. And with that, the notes came out beautifully.

Playing the peaceful song to lighten up the crew's attitude, they headed into the realm of light ahead. The ship disappeared into the tunnel.

The Star Crew, filled with optimism, sailed through the first of their obstacles. "It's been about a week and a half total since my journey started," said Zato. "We've reached the first destination! Here, our adventure truly begins!"

**--**

**This concludes Part 1 of the Star Crew series.**

**Stay tuned for the next story! New nakama, new islands, a whole new organization, but most importantly – new adventure!**

**Enjoy, don't forget to review! ******


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